Budget debate near, Wolf says House GOP leaders blew up deal

Republicans say it is the only way to give Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf a bill that can end a 6-month-old stalemate before Christmas and speed money to school districts and social service agencies. Leaders of the Senate Republican majority had tied its passage to their support for a $30.8 billion spending plan, a 6 percent increase, and the $1 billion-plus tax increase. Wolf is seeking the money to reverse post-recession cuts to public schools and human services and to narrow a long-term budget deficit. But since then the budget has been held up by House Republicans who said they won’t pass it until they know details of a tax package needed to cover the increased spending.

“We had an agreement, a five-party agreement, the Senate Republicans, the Senate Democrats, House Democrats, House Republicans and me”, said Wolf.

If its approved by the House, it could go to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk as early as Wednesday.

House and Senate GOP leaders met Wednesday and appeared unable to find a way to proceed beyond sending Wolf a budget similar to the one he vetoed in June.

A state government with a heart, courage and a brain should be able to find a way to get such services funded on time, or at least well before the end of the calendar year.

School districts, contractors, nonprofits, and local governments that have been cut off from their state aid since July are exhausting their borrowing capacity or their ability to absorb the loss. The House would not vote on the spending legislation without adequate tax legislation to pay for it, said House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana.

Legislation to restructure benefits in for state government and public school employees passed the Senate, and underwent changes in the House before it was defeated there Saturday.

“I feel like I’m in an alternative universe”, said Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin.

The fact the House session for a vote on that bill was canceled showed “a lack of responsibility on the part of House Republicans”, said York County’s sole Democratic representative, Kevin Schreiber of York.

Wiley said he had “more frustration than words” over the budget process.

Mr. Adolph said the House would be ready to pass the spending bill on Wednesday. “We could move forward with everything else and still come back in January and look at liquor”.

The results of this bill and this vote makes us wonder if any of the so-called conservatives who are members of House Freedom Caucus are regretting their support for Paul Ryan and their contemptible abandonment of Daniel Webster’s bid for the Speaker’s gavel now that they’ve seen conservatives outside Congress were right in urging them stand fast against Ryan.

Still, Ryan got support from more than the 79 Republicans who voted for a two-year budget plan the day before he became speaker.

The GOP senator accused his Republican colleagues in the House and Senate of being as complicit as the Democrats for this kind of legislation and blames both parties for the mess the country is in. However, there were still major elements of the bipartisan budget deal that were unsettled.