HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason was troubled by Pennsylvania’s House Democrat leaders’ latest political ploy to use Pennsylvania children as pawns in their negotiations to pass a major tax increase.  Gleason also criticized the Democrats for proposing the largest state budget plan in the history of our Commonwealth during the most troubled economic times we’ve faced since The Great Depression.

“Out-of-touch does not even begin to describe the House Democrats proposal for the most expensive government budget in the history of our Commonwealth,” Gleason said.  “Rather than supporting the Republican’s proposal for a fiscally responsible budget that does not raise taxes, Democrats have developed a ploy that strips funding for higher education in a plan devised to advance their agenda for a major tax increase.”

Yesterday, in a last-ditch attempt to push through a broad-based tax increase, the Democrat-controlled House Appropriations Committee voted to strip $1.3 billion in higher education funding out of the budget.  Democrats are hoping to require education programs be funded by a broad-based tax increase or other new revenue source.  The Democrats proposal increases the cost of operating government by $1.3 billion over last year’s budget.

Gleason concluded, “Pennsylvanians have been adamant that they cannot afford a tax increase and that they believe the government should be fiscally responsible during these troubled economic times.  Republicans have been listening.  That is why our Party’s leaders continue to advance budget plans that force our government to live within its means and not raise taxes.”

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