Harrisburg, PA – August 12, 2025 – Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-17 Montgomery/Delaware) released the below statement following today’s session activities in Harrisburg:
“Today, the Senate failed – once again – to deliver for Pennsylvanians. As the deadline to pass our state budget has come and gone, and the deadline to stave off the devastating cuts to SEPTA looms, make no mistake: your state government has failed you yet again. The General Assembly has a constitutional duty to pass a budget that responsibly funds our Commonwealth by June 30. The unseriousness and lack of urgency that Senate Republicans have displayed since that deadline is unacceptable and nearly unfathomable.
Instead of working with Democrats to craft a bipartisan, long-term solution for funding our Commonwealth and public transit agencies that could pass both chambers, Senate Republicans have pushed forward short-sighted proposals that fail to meet the moment. Their plan to fund public transit steals the funds intended for transit’s capital maintenance to cover a temporary, two-year funding fix—leaving us right back where we started in 2027.
Additionally, their plan mandates annual fare increases for SEPTA riders tied to the Consumer Price Index—a deeply misguided proposal that disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable communities and weakens our economy. At a time when Pennsylvanians are already struggling to make ends meet due to harmful federal budget policies and Republican-imposed tariffs, Harrisburg Republicans have now voted to make the cost of living even higher.
The only tangible thing to come out of today’s session was a clear message that Republicans in Harrisburg are not willing to solve the crises that Pennsylvanians are facing. After 30 years of failed leadership, I believe Pennsylvanians deserve leadership in the Senate who is ready to meet the realities in our communities.”