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...
Senators Costa and Hughes Issue Statements on Debate Over Whether to Spend or Sit on Billions in Surplus Budget: “We Can Do Both!”
May 5, 2022 – Senator Jay Costa, State Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statements in response to Governor Wolf’s announcement on historic state revenues in April and...
PA Senate Democrats Strongly Support Governor’s Proposed Budget to Invest in Pennsylvanians
HARRISBURG – February 8, 2022 – Governor Tom Wolf gave his final budget address today to a joint Pennsylvania House and Senate Session. The proposed budget invests in Pennsylvanians through education, workforce development, criminal justice reform, public health...
Hughes, Democratic Colleagues Announce Historic School Funding Plan
Harrisburg, PA − January 31, 2022 – State Sen. Vincent Hughes, along with House Democrats and education advocates, announced today a school budget plan that would represent the largest investment in public education in Pennsylvania history. The $3.75 billion outline,...
Wolf Administration, General Assembly Announce $11.4 Million Investment in Cold Storage Infrastructure for Food Banks
Reading, PA – December 9, 2021 − First Lady Frances Wolf joined members of the General Assembly and representatives from the charitable food network today at Mary’s Shelter in Reading to announce an $11.4 million investment in cold...
Senate Democrats File Application for Relief to Pause Overreaching Senate Republican Actions Until Court Issues Ruling on Lawsuit
Harrisburg – September 23, 2021 – State Senate Democrats issued the following statement announcing the filing of an application for relief in Commonwealth Court in response to the Senate Republican subpoena of the Department of State, including the request of...
Senate Democrats File Lawsuit Against Overreaching Senate Republican Subpoena
Harrisburg – September 17, 2021 – The Democratic members of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee issued the following statement announcing a lawsuit filed today against a Senate Republican subpoena of the Department of State, including the request of...
Senate Democrats to Take Legal Action Against Overreaching Republican Subpoena and Corrupt Election Investigation
Harrisburg – September 15, 2021 – Following today’s Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee hearing, of which had one agenda item- Consideration of a motion to authorize the issuance of subpoenas- Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Chair of the...
Senate Dem Members of Intergovernmental Operations Committee Question Why Senate Republicans are Misusing Committees & State Resources
Harrisburg – September 9, 2021 – The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee held a hearing today to allegedly examine the PA Department of State’s evolving guidance to counties during the monumental 2020 general election. Testimony today from the Chairman...