As Pennsylvania deals with its longest budget stalemate in the state’s history, the woman many are blaming for the budget crisis is attempting to fundraise by saying Republican Sen. Pat Toomey has been unwilling to compromise in Washington, D.C.
Democrat Katie McGinty left her post as chief of staff to Gov. Tom Wolf in the midst of a budget crisis to begin her campaign for Senate. The state, now in its sixth month without a budget, has had to shut the doors to domestic violence shelters, layoff hundreds of government workers, and force schools to borrow nearly $1 billion to stay in operation.
Although McGinty has been criticized for abandoning her job during the crisis, many involved in the negotiations thought it was a good thing. Her rhetoric towards Republicans became so toxic that she was excluded from budget negotiations.
McGinty and Wolf, ranked by Huffington Post as the most liberal governor in the country, refused to budge on any of the Republican-controlled legislature’s requests. He wound up vetoing their budget bill in its entirety and still is committed to stick to his guns.
McGinty is trying to fundraise by saying that she could help bring the sides together in the U.S. Congress despite the ongoing failures in Pennsylvania.
McGinty attacked Toomey in a fundraising email for not "working towards passing a responsible budget."
"Instead of working to find solutions to the serious challenges facing American families, Republicans like Pat Toomey would rather play games with workers' jobs and livelihoods," wrote the McGinty fundraising plea. "That means unless Congress takes action by this Friday night at midnight, the federal government WILL shut down."
On Twitter, McGinty referred to coming up with a budget a "basic task."
GOP-led Senate failing at its most basic tasks: https://t.co/j6zSxN6N5u #PASen
— Katie McGinty (@KatieMcGintyPA) December 10, 2015
A spokesman for Toomey said that "McGinty’s hyper-partisan approach" is the last thing Congress needs.
"Harrisburg is one of the few places that compares to Washington in its budget mess, and Katie McGinty’s record breaking tax and spend budget led to the stalemate that is still paralyzing state government," said Steve Kelly. "McGinty’s hyper-partisan high-tax approach is the last thing we need in Congress."
The McGinty campaign did not respond to a request for comment.