Harrisburg – the third budget proposal of Governor Josh Shapiro was an act of balance.
On the one hand, Shapiro, a democrat in the first term and up to re -election next year, delivered $ 51.5 billion on Tuesday, which included republican priorities such as tax reforms and agricultural financing. On the other hand, Shapiro maintained a robust foundation of democratic values, in favor of raising the minimum wage of the state and recreational marijuana recreational legalization.
And because of all this, the governor in his speech went through a double -sided lines on the rope, proclaiming cooperation and unity, repeating the chorus: “Pennsylvania is growing.”
When Democrats find a position in the second term of President Donald Trump, Shapiro in the middle talks about the challenge they face. Trump has already threatened to cut off all federal funds – which is the basic part of Pennsylvania’s annual expenses – and previously circumscribed resources for resources Democratic governors who malfunted him. Shapiro has an additional importance of being a governor of state with a divided legislator, which requires the agreement of all regulations by the GOP Senate and a narrowly democratic house before reaching his desk. What’s more: he remains a democratic leader for the presidential basic in 2028, managing the national profile as moderate willing to work in the transition.
This is a completely different tone for Shapiro – and many democratic governors – than during Trump’s first term. Then, as Pennsylvania’s general prosecutor, Shapiro was part of resistance, joining other democratic countries in the lawsuit after the lawsuit to question the Trump’s administration. Now Shapiro is a high state governor, which is largely based on federal financing and committed to cooperate with Trump and every leader who means Pennsylvania’s best interest.
During his budget address, Shapiro mentioned only once, in relation to the red wave It took Washington at the beginning of this year, and the inauguration of Trump in January.
“You can clap it, it’s good,” he said when some Republicans in the home chamber cheered on Trump’s mention.
As he noticed that the Republicans are now controlling the US and the Senate, an far -right representative of GOP. Stephanie Borowicz (R., Clinton) could be seen support.
“To withstand. Maybe you would like to take applause for a moment,” Shapiro said before you end your thought.
One sec Voters throughout the country selected Republicans to control Washington, Shapiro continued, Pennsylvania retained a divided legislator, with the robust majority of GOP in the Senate of State and unambiguous democratic Most of the state home. (The State Chamber is currently drawn in the years 101-101, after the death of a democratic member after a health accident, but it is expected to return to a narrow democratic control after special elections next month).
“Good people from Pennsylvania looked at everything we achieved together and said loudly and clearly in their voices: Go more,” Shapiro said.
»Read more: Josh Shapiro once called Donald Trump an existential threat. Now he says he is ready to work with him.
The 91-minute Shapiro speech was filled with GOP priorities, which Shapiro said that he agrees or is ready for compromise-as eliminating the prodigal expenses that His administration performs a comprehensive review of all property belonging to the state or ordered, which in his opinion will save $ 44 million in the next 10 years.
Other events for Republicans in the Shapiro budget proposal include additional funds for the State Police to place more officers on the street, repeal obsolete taxes, funds for the development of the workforce and many others.
But in the Act on the balance of Shapiro budget, he omitted one thing that Republicans really wanted to hear from him: his support for the school coupons program to enable students from the lowest schools to attend private schools with state dollars.
“He mentioned this in the second budget and it looks like he forgot about all this together in his third budget,” said the leader of the majority of Senate Joe Pittman (R., Indiana), at a press conference after Shapiro’s budget address. “We hope that he is still faithful to what he promised on the campaign trail, which he promised his first year of office to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania … discovering the introduction of family decisions in the educational future of children.”
And the highest republicans of the Senate want Shapiro to play a more lively role in conducting the problems he cares about, instead of playing a mediator in a divided legislative ward. (The general assembly must send legislation to the Shapiro desk for his signature).
“If he wants to do something, he must lead to it,” said the president of the Senate Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland), Riffing on Shapiro’s Get-Suff-Done slogan. “He can’t throw out the idea he did last year, and say:” Let the legislator come up with it, and I will sign it. Then I will go to press conferences throughout the state. He must lead something. “
Democrats, for their part, praised the third budget of Shapiro as a calm and thoughtful “vision of transferring all the people of Pennsylvania,” as Senator Vince Hughes (D., Philadelphia) said at a press conference.
“You compare it with the chaos that is happening in Washington,” said Hughes. “Gov. Shapiro does in many respects, trying to protect around what is happening in Washington. “
The future under the Trump administration
Legislators agree that they cannot foresee the future in the Trump administration, which “flooded the zone” with dozens of executive orders and activities that were overwhelmed by federal agencies, threatening the existence of some.
However, they do not agree whether they will have to do something different this year, despite the federal threats of the Trump’s financing cuts, recently in the US Education Department, which every year sends billions of dollars to schools in Pennsylvania.
Federal funds constitute about 40% of state expenditure each year, in addition to $ 51.5 billion in Shapiro state funds proposed on Tuesday in their budget speech. In addition, in Pennsylvania this year is in the face of a budget deficiency worth $ 4.5 billion that Shapiro wants to partially fill new revenue streams and using the emergency savings of the state.
»Read more: Governor Josh Shapiro says he “did things” in the first two years. With a budget deficiency on the horizon, his biggest challenges are the arrival.
The leader of the majority of the Chamber Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said that domestic democrats have deep concerns about the recent activities of the Trump administration, but nothing says that they do not have to plan differently for the financial year.
“We don’t know what the federal government will do. What we have to do – what Governor Shapiro showed yes – it is that we will take on challenges ahead of us and we will rule – said Bradford.
“You would need a crystal ball and to be honest, I don’t even think you sometimes designed rational thinking,” said Bradford about Trump’s administration.
Pittman, the leader of the GOP Senate, said that he was not worried about any federal financing cuts at that time.
“I am quite optimistic that when Trump’s economy is rooted, it will be fine,” said Pittman. “Everyone but the governor today recognized the structural deficit we have, and the reality we are heading towards fiscal instability … I think that the best thing we have for us is Trump’s economy, but only time will tell.”
