Pittsburgh, PA − November 21, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. released the following statement on the news that Republican state legislators will join out-going President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss electoral college “options”:
Two of the most important hallmarks of democracy are fair elections and the peaceful transition of power. These are not partisan principles; they are central to our form of government, regardless of party affiliation. They are what separate us from authoritarian and totalitarian regimes.
Donald Trump supporters have indicated their interest in nullifying the results of our General Election to instead appoint “loyal electors” is an affront to all voters and our democracy as a whole.
It is such an outlandish idea that it has not happened in 150 years – since the election of Rutherford Hayes.
Voters must determine our next president – not a few Trump loyalists hand picked by Republican legislative leaders.
These plans were hatched in conjunction with efforts to undermine faith in mail in ballots, sow the seeds of doubt about non-existent voter fraud.
This election was held legitimately, without political interference or the threat of authoritarian schemes to keep President Trump in office.
I urge our Republican colleagues in the General Assembly to pledge to conduct this process fairly and accept its results peacefully.
Republican state legislators from Michigan have accepted an invitation to the White House to meet with the out-going President and aid him in an attempted coup.
There are reports that Pennsylvanian Republican legislators will be the next to receive such an invitation.
It is my sincere hope that they decline.
Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by 60,000 votes.
There is no confusion. There is a clear result and it’s time that it was respected.
We also must point out the gross hypocrisy of Republicans who partake in this misinformation campaign.
15 Republicans won election to this chamber in November’s election – but they are not questioning those results. They intend to take their seats in January and serve as senators of this body based on the ballots that were cast…. Meanwhile, they are questioning the results that led Biden to victory.
Those votes were cast on the same ballots. In the same counties.
They cannot cry foul for the top of the ticket and celebrate their own wins.
This is a shameful degree of hypocrisy and is at its base, anti-democratic.
It borders on sedition and I hope the members of this body decline to participate in an overthrow of our duly elected federal government.
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Harrisburg, PA − November 20, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. released the following statement on the PA Budget:
“This is not the budget we wanted. It’s not a budget that provides enough assistance to those struggling with the economic woes caused by COVID-19. But it is a budget that reflects the crisis that we are in. With limited options for revenue and programs that desperately needed funding, this was the version that had the support needed to pass both chambers, keep state government programs in operation and prevent massive furloughs and layoffs of state workers.
If the Senate Democrats and I had our way, we would have used the $1.3 billion in CARES dollars that we had left to fund direct assistance programs for our small businesses, schools, hospitals, homeowners and renters. Using that money to balance the budget is a missed opportunity that leaves many in need. We also left millions of dollars in transportation projects unfinished in a time where our infrastructure needs work.
It is our hope that Pennsylvanians remain safe and healthy through the holiday season and when the General Assembly reconvenes in January that we are able to get to work in earnest on assistance programs to help us move forward from this difficult year.”
Harrisburg, PA − November 12, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. released the following statement regarding the partisan calls for election review done by the General Assembly:
There has been no evidence of fraud and there’s no reason for this additional review. It is reprehensible for Republicans to parrot allegations from the outgoing President without any evidence, casting aspersions on our state and county officials who conducted themselves with the utmost integrity. There was a thorough review of the primary election by the Department of State and the broad, bipartisan Election Law Advisory Board was created earlier this year to review the general election and updates to election law. We do not need additional review, especially one as partisan as what is suggested now by the Republicans in the House and Senate.
Furthermore, fifteen Republicans were elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in last week’s election, and yet they are now in Harrisburg casting doubt on the results.
If the Republicans truly believe there was fraud in our election, I would hope that the Republican members elected last week would recuse themselves from any investigation – given that they are not confident in their wins.
It is the peak of hypocrisy to condemn the results at the top of the ballot while claiming victory in Senate races. They simply cannot have it both ways. It is illogical and anti-democratic. This is a Republican effort to undermine public faith in our elections without cause.
HARRISBURG – October 29, 2020 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Senator Vincent Hughes and members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus today slammed House and Senate Republicans for recessing the General Assembly until mid-November without passing legislation to drive out Pennsylvania’s remaining $1.3 billion in federal CARES funds to Pennsylvanians suffering the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania received nearly $4 billion from the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. In May, Democrats and Republicans worked together to drive out $2.6 billion of the federal funds to provide much needed aid to struggling Pennsylvanians. Since that time, Senate Democrats have strongly advocated for driving out the remaining $1.3 billion and released their own proposal for spending the remaining funding to provide additional relief. Unfortunately, Republican leadership in the House and Senate refused to act on another round of funding before recessing Oct. 21.
“It is unconscionable that Harrisburg Republicans would adjourn the General Assembly and leave town without acting on another round of CARES funding for Pennsylvania families and businesses,” Sen. Costa said. “For months Senate Democrats have been pressing for the release of the remaining $1.3 billion in CARES funds. I’d say House and Senate Republicans ignored us, but the reality is they ignored hurting Pennsylvania families. They ignored Pennsylvania’s small business owners that are hanging on by a thread. They ignored our hospitals, our schools, and our social service providers. Republican inaction is going to lead to more unnecessary suffering and lengthen Pennsylvania’s economic recovery. It’s shameful.”
“At a time when Pennsylvanians need real, bipartisan leadership, Harrisburg Republicans have failed miserably,” Sen. Hughes said. “House and Senate Republicans have been singularly focused on criticizing Governor Wolf for his handling of the pandemic, but when they had a chance to make an impact, they did nothing. They left $1.3 billion sitting in the state treasury and went home. Now, that money will sit there for weeks as more small businesses close, more child care providers struggle to stay afloat, and more families stay up at night wondering how they will pay their bills. It didn’t have to be this way.”
Similar inaction on a federal level has ended all talks of stimulus aid before the Nov. 3 election, leaving families, small businesses, front-line workers and many other vulnerable populations without much-needed aid. Costa and Hughes pointed to politically-motivated federal inaction and severely misplaced priorities by House and Senate Republicans, who the entire summer and fall politicizing the pandemic and Pennsylvania’s response to it rather than working with Democrats to drive out CARES funding.
“Throughout the summer and fall, we’ve watched House and Senate Republicans hold partisan hearings, pass politically-motivated legislation, and waste precious time on veto overrides that they knew would fail,” Sen. Costa said. “If they spent even a fraction of that time focused on helping people, I have no doubt we would have reached a consensus on spending the remaining $1.3 billion in CARES funds. Instead Republicans opted for political theatre.”
“All summer Republican Senators and Representatives stood at press conferences with small business owners and organized rallies to protest Pennsylvania’s response to the pandemic,” Sen. Hughes noted. “But when the press conferences and rallies ended, and the time came to help these same folks they claimed to be fighting for by driving out $1.3 billion, Republican legislators did nothing. They got their press release or their TV clip and the folks that stood with them were left without any help. Again. We cannot wait any longer to push out aid. Our plan must be on the agenda in November.”
The Senate Democrats again shared their plans in hopes that the Republican-controlled General Assembly would understand the immediate need of providing aid to vulnerable Pennsylvanians immediately. The Senate Democratic plan includes:
- $125 million for individual and family relief with utility bill assistance
- $575 million for business assistance, specifically for:
- Nonprofit assistance
- Main Street and Historically Disadvantaged Businesses
- Barbers, salons, personal care industry
- Tourism
- Bars, taverns, restaurants, private event spaces and hospitality
- $15 million food security
- $125 million for high Medicaid hospitals
- $141 million for higher education
- $75 million for child care
- $100 million for hazard pay in existing programs, and expanded programs for pharmacies
- $150 million for property tax relief
- $25 million for public safety
If you missed the press conference, you can watch the full event here. For more information on the Senate Democratic proposals for the first or second allocation of CARES funds, please visit pasenate.com/pacares.
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Pittsburgh, Pa. − October 27, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today announced the award of $1,152,408 in funding for local school districts to deal with COVID-related needs.
The following schools in the 43rd Senatorial District will receive funds:
- Penn Hills SD – $113,923
- Pittsburgh SD – $738,155
- Riverview SD – $30,239
- Steel Valley SD – $44,680
- West Mifflin Area SD – $71,850
- Wilkinsburg Borough SD – $31,504
- Woodland Hills SD – $122,057
School districts can use the money for any of the following purposes:
- Purchasing of cleaning and sanitizing products that meet CDC or PA Department of Health criteria.
- Training and professional development of staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious disease.
- Purchasing of equipment, including PPE, thermometers, infrared cameras and other necessary cameras.
- Modification of existing areas to effectuate appropriate social distancing to ensure the health and safety of students and staff.
- Providing mental health services and supports, including trauma-informed approaches for students impacted by COVID.
- Purchasing educational technology for distance learning to ensure continuity of education.
- Other health and safety programs, items or services necessary to address COVID.
“We’re dealing with the third wave of COVID-19 infections right now, and our school buildings are not immune. I know our local districts are prioritizing safety for students, faculty and staff and it was a priority for me to advocate for these funds which will help them in their safety efforts,” said Senator Costa. “In addition to the safety measures being implemented in our schools, I want to also encourage everyone to wear a mask when they are out in public and observe social distancing whenever possible. This virus is still very dangerous and we need to take mitigation seriously.”
In the CARES budget in May 2020, the General Assembly approved $200 million in funding for school entities COVID related costs. From that $200 million, $150 million was from the Commonwealth’s CARES distribution and the remaining $49.8 million was from ESSR. The $150 million from CARES funding was approved by the Committee in June and has already been distributed to school entities.
The remaining $49.8 million from ESSR funding has been on hold while the Pennsylvania Department of Education awaited approval for the use of the funds from the U.S. Department of Education. USDOE approved the use of the funds last week and as required by statute, the $49.8 million will be distributed to school districts based off their average daily membership.
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Churchill & Penn Hills, PA – The community conservation project to permanently preserve the meadows, woodlands and paved trails of the defunct Churchill Valley Country Club as a 148-acre greenway for public recreation and environmental education received another major boost last week when the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded a $1,000,000 grant to Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) for the acquisition of the land.
“It would be impossible to overstate the importance of this most recent grant award from DCNR,” said ALT’s President & CEO Chris Beichner. “This is an enormous boost for the project–coming on the heels of the $300,000 of recently awarded private grant funding and continued donations from the community the Churchill Valley Greenway is much, much closer to becoming a reality,” Beichner said. “We truly appreciate the DCNR’s support of this important community conservation project, and also the support of the elected officials that helped to make it happen.”
The recent DCNR grant pushes the current total raised from residents, local businesses, private foundations, the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority, and the Commonwealth of PA to more than $2,175,000. ALT has the property under contract to purchase and permanently protect contingent upon its ability to raise the $3,000,000 necessary by March 2021. Additional grant requests are pending, and discussions are on-going with potential corporate sponsors and other funders in attempt to close the $800,000 gap by the early 2021 deadline.
“I am happy to help move this project forward and very pleased that DCNR was able to provide this level of support,” said PA State Senator Jay Costa (43rd District). State Representative Summer Lee (34th District) said “the protection of the Churchill Valley Greenway will improve the quality of life in our communities and I’m excited to support its progress.” In addition to Costa and Lee, the Greenway project is endorsed by the Churchill Borough Council and a wide range of community groups and civic organizations.
The land and the trails of the proposed Churchill Valley Greenway are already being enjoyed informally by residents of all ages, interests and abilities for walking, biking, bird watching, and other outdoor pursuits, and the current pandemic has only underscored the need for its protection. The proposed greenway, like other parks and trails, has experienced a dramatic increase in visitors in recent months as people flock in record numbers to exercise, find solace in nature or simply to get some fresh air while practicing safe social distancing.
Located in a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection-designated “Environmental Justice Area,” the greenway would provide equitable, convenient and permanent access to the restorative benefits of nature to the 95,000 people who live within a 3-mile radius and to all residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Those interested in supporting the conservation project can choose “Churchill Valley Greenway Project” on ALT’s online donation form here: alleghenylandtrust.org/donate
