Feb. 08, 2022
HARRISBURG – Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) issued the below statement following Tuesday’s budget address:
“What the administration is really calling for is to balloon government spending, rather than budgeting, which involves prioritizing government’s core functions and safeguarding tax revenue. But Gov. Tom Wolf's call for a 16.6% increase in spending over last year, which translates to $17 million per day in new spending, is a free-for-all. Emptying Pennsylvania’s coffers to increase annual spending is based on a fiscal fantasy that will become a nightmare in the next few years.
“Our current fiscal picture is only as solid as it is for two reasons: one-time federal monies provided to Harrisburg in 2020 and 2021 and the consistent effort by House Republicans to keep spending in check over the last seven years without raising taxes. Using those federal dollars in our general budget will guarantee tax hikes in future years.
“The true purpose of those federal grants was to address challenges brought on by COVID-19. This was precisely the reason the General Assembly funded a health care worker retention and recruitment program last month.
“But using these funds for recurring expenses will irresponsibly create a funding cliff. Instead, we must continue the course of prioritizing things like education and public safety while keeping our overall spend well below the annual rate of inflation and cutting wasteful spending. Tax revenue is the result of hard-working Pennsylvanians earning and spending, and therefore, I approach the budgeting process believing that government spending must be prudent and frugal, regardless of Gov. Wolf’s alternative reality.”
Representative Eric Nelson
57th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
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