Gov. Shapiro: Republicans are stalling Pa. budget talks for ‘political advantage’ next year

This story originally appeared on WITF.

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday afternoon responded to criticisms he’s faced from Republicans over the nearly two-month-late state budget.

The first-term Democrat said Republican leaders are intentionally stalling budget negotiations for political points ahead of his expected bid for reelection next year.

“I’m a big boy. I understand the game,” Shapiro said. “I understand that they need to play politics, but I think trying to slow down the state budget for the purposes of seemingly gaining some political advantage — that they will not gain — that’ll only serve to hurt the good people of Pennsylvania — I think it’s sad.”

Shapiro declined to provide the spending number that Senate Republicans said they would like to approve, or any specifics about what pieces of the budget remain disputed.

Senate Republicans earlier this month passed a temporary budget that would have continued state funding at last year’s levels. House Democrats rejected the proposal, arguing it would simply delay the parties’ need to settle their disagreements.

Shapiro said he’s primarily been negotiating with Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, who the governor clarified has been “acting in good faith,” noting he expected to speak with Pittman by phone today.

Before Shapiro met with reporters, Pittman had posted on social media: “Negotiations continue as we work to reach consensus on a final budget product that puts our commonwealth on a stable spending path for future years.”

His spokeswoman declined to comment further when contacted after Shapiro’s comments.

Asked what his role has been in negotiations — after Shapiro said he was running “back and forth” between Pittman and House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery — Shapiro said he’s trying to get the House and Senate to agree on a compromise budget, and that his $51.5 spending plan from earlier this year demonstrates his priorities.

“What I’m trying to do now is be able to find common ground between those two chambers to put together a package that can pass in those chambers,” Shapiro said.

Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a possible opponent in next year’s election, targeted Shapiro and the failure to pass a budget in her initial campaign launch video last week. The video said Shapiro has been too busy building his national profile ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run to focus on doing the commonwealth’s business.

On Monday, Garrity’s campaign announced the top Republican lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly — some of whom Shapiro and his staff are working with directly to reach a budget deal — unanimously backed her candidacy for the party’s gubernatorial nomination next year.

Pittman, along with Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, both said in their statements that they believe Garrity is the right candidate to defeat Shapiro.