EMPTY DESKS, EMPTY PROMISES: PA Senate Republicans Vacation as

State Budget Languishes Six Days Overdue

While Pennsylvania Students and Families Face Financial Uncertainty, Senate GOP Abandons Harrisburg

HARRISBURG, PA — Today marks the sixth day that Pennsylvania has been forced to operate without a state budget because Senate Republicans have chosen summer vacations over their constitutional duty to the people of this Commonwealth. Despite a June 30 budget deadline, the Senate Republican majority has shuttered the doors of the Capitol, leaving behind empty parking lots and a wake of uncertainty for schools, small businesses, and local communities.

This delay is as unconscionable as it was avoidable. House Democrats did their jobs months ago, putting forward a comprehensive and responsible budget that addresses the most pressing needs of Pennsylvanians. House Democrats are ready to respond to a Senate budget proposal at a moment’s notice, but Senate Republicans have retreated, effectively holding the state’s financial stability hostage.

“Once again, we find ourselves in a new fiscal year without a budget in place,” said Rep. Matt Bradford, Democratic Majority Leader. “The Democratic House Majority is united and willing to pass a bipartisan, pro-growth, and pro-Pennsylvania budget. The Senate is missing, unwilling to work, and refusing to do the job they were elected to do. It’s disrespectful to taxpayers and their constituents.”

The consequences of this Republican-led stalemate are severe:

• School Districts in Limbo: Without a finalized budget, local school boards are forced to make critical staffing and programming decisions based on guesswork.

• Communities at Risk: Funding for first responders and essential municipal services remains frozen while Senate leadership refuses to even take a vote.

• Economic Stagnation: By blocking the House-passed budget, Senate Republicans are continuing to stand in the way of a $15 minimum wage and meaningful tax relief for seniors and working families.

The contrast could not be clearer. While Governor Shapiro and House Democrats are fighting to make life more affordable, Senate Republicans are proving once again that they are more interested in political games and personal time off than the people they were elected to serve.

Pennsylvanians are sick and tired of the chaos coming from the Senate Republican majority. This November, voters will have a historic opportunity to flip the state Senate, end this cycle of abdication, and finally elect leaders who will show up and do the work.

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Contact: Sydney Robinson,

Communications Director

sydney@pahdcc.com