Warner, Dowling Vote Against State Budget

June 30, 2017

HARRISBURG – Reps. Ryan Warner (R-Fayette/Westmoreland) and Matt Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) today issued the following statement in response to the passage of a Fiscal Year 2017-18 General Fund Appropriations Bill:

“No family would create a budget without first knowing how much money it has to spend,” Warner said. “It is irresponsible for the General Assembly to decide on state expenditures before we know how much state revenue we will have. I am not willing to mortgage future generations of Pennsylvanians to pay for our debts of today.

“Just like last year, we are voting on spending before knowing our revenues,” Warner added. “This is part of the reason we have a budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2016-17. Some of the revenues we planned never became law. It is time to stop kicking the can down the road, raiding funds, borrowing and mortgaging our future.”

“We are being asked to pass a budget and are being told that we will work on the revenue when we return next week,” said Dowling. “I have a question as to the constitutionality of that process. The constitution calls for a budget based on ‘actual and estimated revenues.’ The Senate waited until the last minute to send this budget back to us, and we are working under an arbitrary deadline. The idea was that the pressure would be put on as time ran out. I will not vote on a spending bill to find out where the revenue is coming from. I would rather wait to make an informed decision. Much has been said at the federal level about passing a bill to find out what is in it – this situation feels to be in the same vein and it is not right!”

For more information on the 2017-18 state budget, go to www.pahousegop.com.

?Representative Ryan Warner
52nd Legislative District
Representative Matthew Dowling
51nd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com