PITTSBURGH, May 14, 2020 – Today state Senator Jay Costa, D-Allegheny and state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, announced the unanimous confirmation vote of Khadija Diggs, Esq., to the Pennsylvania Parole Board from the state Senate.
Diggs, from Verona, Allegheny County, has an extensive legal background, having worked as an assistant solicitor for the City of Pittsburgh Law Department, the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender, and with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She currently serves as assistant legal counsel for the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel. Diggs is a commission member for the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for General, Racial and Ethnic Fairness and earned her juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law.
“I am proud and honored in the governor’s nomination of Khadija to this board,” said Wheatley. “She has a proven track record of success in the legal profession, including her current work in the state Office of General Counsel, not to mention her ongoing volunteer efforts serving the greater Pittsburgh community and statewide. I am confident Khadija’s experience, expertise and drive will further enhance the board in its mission to promote public safety and ensure a fair, efficient and transparent parole process that’s respectful of all people in our commonwealth.”
“She’s someone I believe will be an outstanding addition to the board,” said Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny. “She has been a longtime advocate for justice in our community. We will rarely find folks who have this breadth of experience and understanding of the issues, but beyond this as an individual and as a person, I have found her to be a kind and generous person who is extremely giving of her time to her community.”
Diggs will serve a four-year term on the board.
Harrisburg, Pa. − April 30, 2020 − The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness (VAEP) Committee led by Chairman Mike Regan (R-Cumberland) today held a hearing, not to address veterans’ affairs nor emergency preparedness, but rather to issue subpoenas to officials in Governor Tom Wolf’s Administration.
Senate Democrats voted against this measure, but it passed with Republican-only support, 7-4.
“The Senate Republicans convened an incredibly wasteful, offensive and political hearing of an important committee in the midst of a crisis today,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. “There is important work that the VAEP Committee should undertake in its hearings, all of which was ignored today by the committee .”
Issues that the Committee failed to address in today’s hearing:
- 26 COVID-19 related deaths at the Southeastern Veterans’ Center in Chester County. Auditor General DiPasquale and the Chester County Coroner have asked the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to conduct an investigation and release more information about the care that our Veterans are receiving in state-run Veterans homes.
- A growing number of nursing homes around the Commonwealth that are requesting assistance from the Pennsylvania National Guard to take care of patients.
- How to get more PPE to nursing homes that account for approximately 50% of the COVID-19 related deaths.
- Getting information on county emergency management agencies
- Hearing testimony, first hand, from first responders, health care workers or other front-line essential workers
The information requested in the subpoena from the Senate Republican caucus will already be released in an audit by Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. The Auditor General had already announced his intention to do a review, at the behest of the Senate President Pro Tempore. The Department of Community and Economic Development and the Office of the Governor had already agreed to participate in the review.
Senate Republicans went forward with their politicized hearing anyway.
“A duplicative review of the same program and information is a waste of taxpayer resources and takes our administration’ s officials away from fighting COVID-19,” said Senator Costa. “As the United States crossed 60,000 deaths from COVID-19, Senate Republicans called a last-minute Senate Committee meeting to try to attack the Governor who has decisively and steadfastly led our state through this outbreak. “
VAEP Democratic Chairwoman and decorated Naval Officer Pam Iovino made the following statement during the committee proceedings:
“A global pandemic was a known threat.
That bears repeating: a global pandemic was a known threat.
There was reason to have Public Health experts as part of the National Security Team.
A strategic plan to pull from the shelf would have been a good thing.
But Pennsylvania, like every other state, was afforded the opportunity to figure it out on our own. That is not the way to go to war.
So with only a broad objective – prevent the spread of the virus, do not overwhelm our healthcare system, and keep people from dying… we were scrambling to do the best we could.
And that is how we came to the life-sustaining business waiver process to keep as many people at home as possible to avoid the spread of the corona virus.
The process was flawed.
I do not believe there is disagreement about that from anyone.
I, like all of my colleagues, have heard from many businesses with legitimate grievances with the waiver process.
I mentioned that one of the other reasons the military is so highly regarded is the routine practice of continually seeking improvement….
inspections, after-action reports, assessing operations and training exercises…Taking a close, objective look and finding where better methods make sense.
We need to do this with the waiver process. And not just because we agree it was flawed, but because unfortunately, we may find ourselves needing it again.
The Auditor General’s decision to conduct an audit, and the Governor’s and DCED’s cooperation with that audit, is the best way to comprehensively and independently review the waiver process, improve the process, and give Pennsylvanians the transparency that they deserve from their government.
The office of the Auditor General is the official entity whose mission is (and I quote) “to serve the people of Pennsylvania by improving government accountability, transparency, and the effective use of taxpayer dollars.”
This audit is warranted. And it best serves the people of Pennsylvania.
Finding deficiencies merely to find fault does not serve the people of Pennsylvania. Having the Auditor General do his job of finding deficiencies in the waiver program to improve on it must be the goal here.”
Senator Lindsey Williams also offered remarks at the hearing.
“We are in the middle of a global pandemic and instead of addressing that crisis, we are having a committee meeting that is pure political theater.
Instead, we are sitting in the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee talking about the Department of Community and Economic Development business waiver process. As minority chair of the Community, Economic, and Recreational Development Committee, which has jurisdiction over DCED, I do not understand why we are not talking about this in the CERD committee.
I believe in government transparency and accountability. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only person on this committee who has actually worked on behalf of employees who blew the whistle on government waste, fraud and abuse.
This subpoena is not about transparency. It is about a political stunt. It is about driving up to Mount Wolf and serving a subpoena on the Governor with a camera crew in tow.”
Senator Maria Collett, a member of the VAEP Committee, also offered remarks on her “no” vote.
“Issuing subpoenas now that will take people away from the good work of helping our communities just to spend countless hours sifting through documents to satisfy discovery requests is undoubtedly a waste of taxpayer money. And it further wastes the energies of people we so desperately need to continue working to get our Commonwealth back on track for a safe, effective re-opening.
The administration needs to better target their relief efforts to make sure the money gets in the hands of those who need it the most, in districts like mine that have been closed the longest and to the families and small businesses that have been hardest hit. My focus right now is making sure this happens. My vote reflects the distraction I think launching this type of legal investigation now will be towards the goal of bringing desperately needed financial relief to my district.”
Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus are continuing their work to fight COVID-19, protect front line workers, and get all Pennsylvanians back on their feet financially.
The caucus has proposed PA CARES, a plan to spend $5 billion in federal stimulus dollars. Details of the plan can be found at pasenate.com/pacares.
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Critical of Republican’s Political and Redundant Attempt to Subpoena Wolf Administration Officials
Harrisburg, Pa. − April 30, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. issued the following statement regarding the Senate Republican efforts to subpoena Governor Tom Wolf’s cabinet officials in the middle of a public health crisis.
“I wholeheartedly agree with the Auditor General’s decision to conduct an audit of DCED’s waiver program. The program has been criticized for inconsistencies in the granting of waivers in a transparent manner.
“The review by the Auditor General is a more appropriate venue, particularly given that DCED and the Governor’s office has agreed to participate. Furthermore, the audit by the Auditor General is exactly what Senate Republicans this week asked for in a letter, signed by members of their caucus. As such, given the granting of their request and DCED’s agreeing to participate in the audit, the subpoenas now issued are an unnecessary and redundant additional step. A duplicative review of the same program and information is a waste of taxpayer resources and takes our administration’ s officials away from fighting COVID-19.
“On the day the United States crossed 60,000 deaths from COVID-19, Senate Republicans called a last-minute Senate Committee meeting to try to attack the Governor who has decisively and steadfastly led our state through this outbreak.
“While the Republicans focus on fighting Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine, our caucus is focused on fighting COVID-19 and protecting workers.
“Our staff and member time would be better used helping to process unemployment compensation claims, plan for businesses to reopen, and work on a plan to get federal stimulus dollars into our constituents’ pockets.
“Unfortunately, this is becoming a theme with our Republican colleagues in the general assembly recently. Just last week they pushed for an anti-choice measure in a piece of telemedicine legislation that could have expanded health care access for all rural Pennsylvanians. They knew their political provision would lead to a veto, and they refused to compromise, and we do not have a much-needed telemedicine program in PA.
“I am asking that they cancel tomorrow’s planned VAEP hearing.
“The Senate and House Democrats, Governor Wolf, DCED, and DoH have been singularly focused on protecting working people, getting medical equipment for front line workers, and finding resources to keep businesses afloat while the crisis persists.”
Senator Costa, along with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus spent their day Wednesday presenting a proposal for the state to spend $5 billion in federal revenue to get Pennsylvanians back on their feet and back to work.
Republican distractions and charades since COVID-19 reached Pennsylvania have included:
- Attempting to ban access to reproductive health care under telemedicine, denying access to health care for rural Pennsylvanians
- Creating a political task force to oversee Secretary Rachel Levine
- Voting against front line workers, against paid sick leave, against hazard pay, against mandated PPE, against workers compensation expansion
- Subpoenaing Administration officials
Democratic efforts to aid Pennsylvanians during the outbreak:
- Introduction of the American Working Families Relief Action Plan, which included protections for workers, assistance in childcare, and expansion of workers compensation protection
- Fighting for all front-line workers to make sure that they are being protected and compensated for their great sacrifices during the pandemic
- Introduction of a plan to spend federal stimulus dollars to get Pennsylvanians back on their feet and back to work
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More information on the Senate Democratic stimulus plan can be found at PASenate.com/PaCARES
HARRISBURG – APRIL 29, 2020 – State Senators Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) unveiled the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus’ plan to allocate federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds Wednesday morning.
The Pennsylvania CARES Plan offers a set of spending priorities to best use the $3.9 billion in federal CARES ACT funding the commonwealth is set to receive. A major focus of the PA CARES Plan is funding initiatives that help individuals and families, such as housing assistance programs, student debt relief, veterans’ assistance, utility assistance, and food bank support.
“Our communities are hurting. Our friends and neighbors have been sick or isolated, and we’ve lost many to the COVID-19 virus,” Sen. Costa said. “As we begin to recover, we need a plan that works for everyone — particularly working families. Our strategy must get folks back on their feet and back work. We intend to focus on assistance for working people, protection for front line workers, investments in education and childcare, and loans and programs that will enable our small business community to reopen their doors and thrive again.”
Other aspects of the proposal include allocating additional assistance to frontline workers, funding for the health care industry and its workers, small business grants, and much-needed support communities disparately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. School districts and local governments would also receive support to help offset pandemic-related expenses.
“We want to lay a foundation for recovery that prioritizes the people of Pennsylvania and supports those who have been hit hardest by the pandemic,” Sen. Hughes said. “Our plan would help resuscitate the communities across the commonwealth by providing resources for workers, families and small businesses. We will get through this crisis together by supporting our people and communities, which are the backbone of our great commonwealth.”
Highlights of the PA CARES plan include:
- $1.1 billion for assistance for working people
- $900 million for education and childcare initiatives
- $650 million for health care industry, first responders & frontline workers assistance
- $425 million for small businesses
- $350 million for local government assistance
- $300 million for historically disadvantaged communities
The Senate Democrats’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic remains focused on helping working people, families and Pennsylvania’s small businesses. Members of the caucus have a number of proposals to address COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts in Pennsylvania.
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Harrisburg – April 23, 2020 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. (D-Allegheny) unveiled legislation today that would protect federal stimulus payments to people from being preyed upon by creditors and debt collectors.
Costa’s bill would prohibit the garnishment of federal CARES Act payments — such as the $1,200 stimulus or $600 unemployment compensation booster payment — from garnishment.
“Unfortunately, in this time of extraordinary financial distress there are some creditors or collection firms that will try to prey on individuals at their most vulnerable time,” Costa said. “During the pandemic, when so many are hurting, the last thing citizens should have to deal with are aggressive payment collection firms.
“The federal stimulus funds are needed by individuals and families to meet financial obligations now and should not be subject to garnishment for past debts.”
Costa said his bill would protect payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure would:
- Suspend the ability of private creditors and collections agencies to attach any federal stimulus or UC benefits for garnishment to satisfy debts;
- Suspend state and local government debt garnishment, including for medical and student loan debt collection (this would not apply to child support);
- Prohibit state-chartered banks and credit unions from seizing stimulus checks or UC payments; and
- Extend the debt collection suspension period for at least 60 days after the state emergency disaster declaration has been lifted.
Costa said that some experts have claimed that one in three Americans with debts in collection could face seizure. He said governors and Attorney Generals in other states have taken step to shield the payments from bill collectors.
“Congress passed the CARES Act to provide funds for individuals and families to survive the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic,” Costa said. “Bill collectors should not be able to step in, seize a portion of the funds and put more stress on families.”
Costa said he plans to introduce the bill in the next week.
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