HARRISBURG – Citing an ongoing lack of specificity and transparency, Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25) and Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-34) called the Governor’s “plan” for emerging from COVID-19 public health crisis disappointing
“We hoped to see a real plan from the Governor today to move Pennsylvania forward from the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have said from the beginning that any recovery plan should include transparency, common sense, clear standards and benchmarks to advance, and the input and cooperation from all branches of government. None of those principles were addressed by Governor Wolf today, and Pennsylvania will be worse off as a result.
“Senate Republicans sent the governor a clear, fair, and safe plan to get more Pennsylvanians back to work in those regions and industries where we can do so without making the COVID-19 crisis worse.
“Our plan relies on nationally recognized standards and experts, as well as the judgement of local officials who know their communities best and are in the best position to respond to local challenges.
“Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, but we rank first in the number of new Unemployment Compensation claims filed. Our system has slowed to a crawl and our families are suffering as a result.
“We remain open and willing to work with Governor Wolf on a real plan to that puts Pennsylvania first. It is imperative that Governor Wolf prioritizes working with the legislature, as well as with local leaders within our counties, above working with select governors from other northeastern states.
“We are tired of hearing his rhetoric that he wants to work with us, while at the same time making unilateral decisions. It is far past time for him to abandon his go-it-alone approach and come to the table to work with the General Assembly on real solutions.”