Extremist Republicans in Washington, D.C. continue to hurt Pennsylvanians by stealing money that was set aside for our seniors, farmers, veterans, small businesses, universities, food banks and more. The Protect Pennsylvanians Act will safeguard our residents, their privacy, and the programs that help us all when the federal government oversteps or fails to act.

The Act protects Pennsylvania’s budget when federal funds are unlawfully withheld by allowing the Commonwealth to temporarily stop payments to the federal government. It also allows Pennsylvania to place liens on federal property until the funds are restored. 

The Act grants individual Pennsylvanians a private right to take legal action if their rights are violated. It protects everyone from further invasive gathering of confidential information by preventing state agencies from sharing personally identifiable information that could be misused.

We support efforts to cut the waste, fraud or abuse of taxpayer dollars anywhere. What we’ve seen instead is the indiscriminate cutting of critical funding for services already agreed to by Congress.

We applaud Pennsylvania’s vigorous defense of our Commonwealth in the courts. This legislation builds on efforts to protect Pennsylvanians from the unlawful abuses playing out weekly in Washington, D.C. If Congressional Republicans won’t step up to defend our future, then it falls to us in the Pennsylvania legislature. I hope you will join us in protecting residents and our economy.