News & Brews February 14, 2025
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Shapiro’s sues Trump over attempt to root out waste
Fresh off proposing $3.9 billion in more spending despite a $3.6 billion deficit, Gov. Josh Shapiro is apparently doubling down on his commitment to reckless spending. Yesterday, he sued the Trump administration over the president’s move to rein in federal spending. The White House had previously explained that the move was “expressly limited to programs, projects, and activities that may be impacted by President Donald Trump’s executive orders, such as ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the Green New Deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that the White House suspect undermine national interest.” GOP Rep. Seth Grove put the lawsuit in context, however: “Maybe if Gov. Shapiro was actually financially responsible with state tax dollars, our budget would be in balance and not facing a $7 billion deficit. People want more Trump and less Shapiro….”
Dem governors complain about energy costs they created
Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Gordon Tomb writes in the Daily Signal that instead of taking “accountability for destructive policies” that lead to a “strain[ed] grid capacity nationwide…. Democrat governors play the blame game.” Tomb points to a recent complaint from five governors, including Gov. Shapiro, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. These five states “have some of the nation’s more expensive electricity. And it’s all their fault. For years, these states have indulged in ideological schemes—enacted into law by renewable portfolio standards—that favor expensive wind and solar energy to the detriment of power plants fueled by more traditional coal and natural gas or nuclear fuel…. Whatever the merits of the governors’ criticisms, their states’ policies are a catalog of Green New Deal ‘solutions’ that have decimated the energy sector.”
Philly shuts down for Eagles parade
Good luck if you want to get anything done in Philly today, as the city is pretty much shutting down for the Eagles parade. Government offices will be closed. Court is rescheduled. Schools are closed. College classes are canceled. Museums are closed. Libraries are closed. Some stores will be closed. Even the zoo will be closed. If you’re wondering if Philly taxpayers will be given a one-day tax reprieve while the government goes on vacation, the answer is no.
McCormick’s team includes former, current officials
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick has announced additional members of his Pennsylvania-based team, and among them are a former state rep, a mayor, and several staffers for other elected officials. Serving as McCormick’s Southeastern Pa. Regional Director will be former state Rep. Chris Quinn, who was in the Pa. House from 2016-2022. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s former District Director and current Tamaqua Mayor Nathan Gerace will be McCormick’s Northeastern Pa. Regional Director. As previously shared, former state Sen. Ryan Aument is McCormick’s State Director and former Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco is the Southwestern Pa. Regional Director.
Fetterman rejects Left’s ‘constitutional crisis’ panic
As the Left has spiraled into an all-out panic, claiming President Trump is causing a “constitutional crisis,” Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman isn’t buying it. “There isn’t a constitutional crisis, and all of these things ― it’s just a lot of noise,” Fetterman said. “That’s why I’m only gonna swing on the strikes.” Unlike most of his colleagues on the Democrat side, Fetterman has shied away from taking a knee-jerk reaction against anything and everything Trump says or does. Instead, he’s basically saying just let the process play out. “When it was [President] Joe Biden, then you [had] a conservative judge jam it up on him, and now we have liberal judges that are going to stop these things. That’s how the process works.”