Metzgar, Dowling: Budget Borrowing Will Mortgage Our Children’s Future

June 30, 2017

HARRISBURG – Reps. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset/Bedford) and Matt Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) issued the following statements regarding the 2017-18 budget bill:

“I could not vote for a spending bill before finding out where the revenue will come from. I would rather wait to make an informed decision than pass a budget that doesn’t have firm revenue streams in place. Many have been critical of the federal government about passing a bill to find out what is in it – this situation feels to be in the same vein and it is not right,” said Dowling.

Metzgar cited his great concern over the planned borrowing of $2 billion against the Tobacco Settlement Fund to finance this budget.

“New Jersey borrowed $92 million in this manner in 2014, resulting in an estimated payback of $400 million. I cannot in good conscience put Pennsylvanians further in debt simply because we refuse to pass a budget that only spends money that we have. Taking a small lump of money now instead of using the stream of money as it arrives is like trading a new Corvette on an old Yugo just because the Yugo has a full tank of gas,” Metzgar said.

Representative Carl Walker Metzgar
69th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
717.260.6374
ggross@pahousegop.com
RepMetzgar.com

Representative Matthew Dowling
51st Legislative District
Media Contact: Raymond Smith
717.705.1834
rsmith@pahousegop.com
RepDowling.com / Facebook.com/RepDowling