PA Senate Democratic Leadership Shares Statement on Latest House Budget Legislation
Harrisburg PA − October 8, 2025 − Today, Senator Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared the following statement after the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a 25-26 budget for the...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Urge Senate Republicans to Return to Negotiations as House Votes Down Unserious Budget and Transit Bills
HARRISBURG, PA – August 13, 2025 – Today, the House Rules Committee and the House Appropriations Committee voted down HB 257 and SB 160, respectively. Passed in the Senate yesterday evening, these bills represented unserious and unagreed-to budget proposals that were...
Senator Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Express Frustration, Urgency as Senate Republicans Fail to Meaningfully Advance Budget Negotiations, Transit Funding
HARRISBURG, PA – August 12, 2025 – Today, the Senate of Pennsylvania convened for session. Instead of advancing bills to bring the 2025-26 budget process to a close and to fully fund public transit, roads, and bridges, Senate Republicans chose to advance HB 257, a...
Senate Democratic Leaders Urge Senate Republicans to Act After House Passes Budget Bill
HARRISBURG, PA – July 14, 2025 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed HB 1330, an important step to closing out this year’s...
Senate Democrats Continue to Sound Alarm on Catastrophic Impacts of Trump’s Reconciliation Bill on Healthcare, Hospitals, and Food Access Across Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, PA − June 30, 2025 − On Monday, June 30, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus gathered in the East Wing Rotunda to draw attention to the urgency of stopping Trump’s domestic policy bill from becoming law. In its current form, the bill poses an existential threat to Medicaid, SNAP, and rural hospitals across Pennsylvania.
House and Senate Democrats Fight to Protect Medicaid and SNAP Funding, Call on Republicans to Break Silence
Sharing personal stories, statewide data, and personal experiences, legislators urge Republicans at the state and federal level to join them in opposing cuts to critical social safety net programs HARRISBURG, PA − June 2, 2025 − On Monday, June 2, Senate and...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Encourage PA Senate Republicans to Speak Up as “Big Beautiful Bill” Clears US House of Representatives
HARRISBURG, PA – May 22, 2025 − This morning, Republicans in the US House of Representatives passed a budget bill that will result in 15 million Americans losing their health insurance and 3 million American families losing access to healthy food. Senate Democratic...
Senator Hughes Hosts Intergovernmental Roundtable on Federal Threats to Health Insurance
Philadelphia, PA − April 23, 2025 − On Tuesday, April 22nd, Senator Vincent Hughes hosted an intergovernmental roundtable with federal, state, and local lawmakers and healthcare leaders from across Pennsylvania. The goal was to bring a variety of stakeholders together...
Senate Democratic Caucus Rallies for Fair Housing Month, Calls for State Action on Safe, Affordable Homes for All
Harrisburg, PA − April 2, 2025 − Senate Democrats held a press conference on Wednesday to kick off Fair Housing Month, observed nationally every April, and call for state action on Housing. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa was joined by Democratic...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Add to Chorus of Pleas to Protect Medicaid Funding
HARRISBURG, PA – February 26, 2025 − Yesterday evening, the US House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that endorses slashing critical funding to Medicaid and Medicare to the tune of $880 billion. In adding to the pleas of fellow Pennsylvanians, Senate...
Senator Hughes Applauds Governor Shapiro’s Lawsuit to Unfreeze $1.2 Billion in Federal Funding for PA’s Families
HARRISBURG, PA – February 13, 2025 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he will be filing suit to challenge President Trump’s unconstitutional freeze on $1.2 billion that the US Congress appropriated to Pennsylvania, along with an additional $900 million...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Applaud Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget
HARRISBURG, PA – February 4, 2025 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro laid out his vision and priorities for the 2025-26 Budget. In it, the Governor proposed an agenda for solving the problems facing Pennsylvanians and increasing opportunities for Pennsylvania’s families...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Elects Leadership Team for 2025-26 Legislative Session
HARRISBURG, PA – November 13, 2024 – The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus today elected its leadership team for the 2025-26 legislative session. The Senate Democratic Caucus also proudly welcomes two new members: Senator Patty Kim representing Senate District 15,...
Senate Democrats File Lawsuits Seeking to Block Enforcement of Senate Resolution 334
HARRISBURG, PA – October 9, 2024 − Today, four members of the Senate Democratic Caucus filed suit in Commonwealth Court against President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Senator Joe Pittman, and Senator Jarret Coleman in order to halt a subpoena compelling Secretary of Revenue...
Senate Democratic Leaders Share Statement on Passing of FY24-25 Budget
Harrisburg, PA − July 11, 2024 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate and House passed a $47.59B dollar budget that makes significant investments in basic education, higher education, public safety, health and human services, and economic development.
Senate Democratic Leaders, Jay Costa and Vincent Hughes, Issue Statement Affirming Caucus Commitment to Women’s Reproductive Freedom and Autonomy
Harrisburg − June 24, 2024 − Today, Senator Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, issued the following statements to recognize the second anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Senate...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Praise Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 Budget
HARRISBURG, PA – February 6, 2024 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro laid out his vision and priorities for the 2024-25 Pennsylvania Budget. In it, the Governor proposed historic increases in basic education spending, economic development, housing, community safety, and...
State Senators Jay Costa, Vincent Hughes, and Judy Schwank Praise Governor Shapiro’s Higher Education Blueprint, Call for Continued Stakeholder Conversations
HARRISBURG, PA – January 26, 2024 − Today, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic caucus praise Governor Shapiro’s new blueprint for higher education, which seeks to expand access to higher education for Pennsylvania’s learners while consolidating governance...
Seventeen Years and Counting – Senate Democrats Continue to Fight to Raise PA’s Minimum Wage
Harrisburg, PA – July 7, 2023 − Sunday, July 9th, marks seventeen years since Pennsylvania lawmakers last raised the minimum wage. On July 9th, 2006, Governor Ed Rendell was joined by Senator Vincent Hughes, Senator Jay Costa, and Senator Tina Tartaglione to sign a...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Elects Leadership Team for 2023-24 Legislative Session
Harrisburg, PA − November 15, 2022 − The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus today elected its leadership team for the 2023-24 legislative session. The Senate Democratic Caucus proudly welcomes a new member, Senator Nick Miller of Allentown. The new and...
Gov. Wolf, Sen. Hughes, General Assembly Celebrate Critical Investments to Address Affordable Housing Crisis
Philadelphia, PA − August 12, 2022 − Today, Governor Tom Wolf was joined by members of the General Assembly, housing advocates and stakeholders in Philadelphia to celebrate the critical $375 million investment in the 2022-23 budget addressing the affordable...
Senate Democrats Support Pres. Biden’s Call for State Gas Tax Holiday
Harrisburg, PA – June 22, 2022 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate Democrats held a press conference shortly after President Joe Biden made a call to federal and state law makers to pause gas taxes. “Our stance is simple; we are calling on state Republicans to join us...
Senate Democrats Call on Republicans to Immediately Prioritize Gun Violence Prevention Legislation and Appropriations
HARRISBURG – May 25, 2022 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate Democrats wrote the following letter to Republican leaders in response to rampant gun violence and mass shootings that have become too common in the United States. Just this year, 215 mass shootings have taken...