Within just a few minutes of the House passing House Bill 1460 (Adolph-R- Delaware), the House Republican General Fund budget, the Senate Appropriations Committee scheduled a meeting and later stripped the bill of the House budget and put in its place the agreed-to, bipartisan General Fund budget passed by the Senate on Monday and reported the bill from Committee.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) said the intention of the Senate is to send the amended bill back to the House.
In an interview posted by PLS, Sen. Corman said he would be happy to consider a budget bill from the House the Governor will sign, but the version passed by the House is not that bill. The Senate-passed version is.
Sen. Corman said he respects the lower spend number in the House Republican budget, but to sit here for six months and raise taxes, which the bill will take, and not get pension reform or liquor reform is not something he can recommend to his caucus.
He also said the House Republican budget is predicated on expanding gaming which does not have enough support in the Senate.
Sen. Corman said the agreed-to budget passed by the Senate is a compromise, everyone gets something.
House R Reaction
In response to the intended Senate action to send back the House Republican budget bill, House Speaker Mike Turzai said, “Sending back a budget bill is not really responsible governance. Tell us how you’re paying for it.”
He said the agreed-to framework agreement would essentially provide for a $3 billion tax increase, including $600 million this fiscal year and $2.2 billion in the next fiscal year to support promised increases in education spending and cost-to-carry.
“Who is voting for the $3 billion and what’s the tax package look like? We’d be glad to look at it and if they want to run it and send it over here, we can always put it up for a vote and see if we have the votes for it,” Speaker Turzai added.
“I can tell you this, there are no votes, I do not see any votes for something like a $3 billion tax increase,” he said. “I’m not just talking about Republicans, I don’t see Democrats voting for that kind of a tax increase.”
NewsClips:
Analysis: Blame House Republicans For Budget Nightmare
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