Jun. 27, 2023
HARRISBURG – House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) said Tuesday that Pennsylvania’s House Democrats voted in favor of welfare fraud and irresponsible governance by voting against a series of Republican-sponsored amendments that would have reduced or eliminated waste, fraud and abuse in the provision of welfare benefits; right-sized the safety net; and provided for program integrity measures discussed by Republicans for months.
“For months our caucus has been working on program integrity measures that will right-size the safety net to ensure it is there for those who are truly needy but is not bloated and unnecessarily used. House Republicans, as part of our Keystone Commitment, believe help should be there, but we must also be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources and help people move from poverty to prosperity,” Cutler said.
“The amendments we offered today reflect much of that work. They reflect our better ideas that will help create safe, vibrant communities where we help those truly in need by creating a thriving economy and a more affordable Pennsylvania,” Cutler continued. “It also reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility and good government management, something that has been truly lacking over the last several months.”
Grove noted many of the program integrity measures Democrats voted against are things that have been supported on a bipartisan basis at the federal level and are in direct response to reports of welfare fraud and abuse by the Office of Inspector General.
“House Democrats today voted to allow the perpetuation of fraud and abuse of our welfare system and rejected commonsense bipartisan reforms that are now federal law,” Grove said. “On top of continuing to silence Republican voices, they are now rejecting ideas that have received bipartisan support elsewhere and are recognized as providing much-needed program integrity to a welfare system in dire need of retooling and reform.”
Republican Leader Bryan Cutler
100th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
