This is a guest post by state Rep. Mary Isaacson, an elected official serving Pennsylvania’s 175th District in Philadelphia.

Passing the state budget each year is much more than putting numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s a reflection of our shared values. 

State lawmakers want progress for our state and the people who live here. Therefore, we — especially those of us in the House Democratic Caucus — look to fund our state universities like Penn State, Lincoln, Pitt and Temple that help shape the next generation of leaders, and to fund our institutions that promote innovation, like Ben Franklin Technology Partners. 

Unfortunately, when there is so much chaos and uncertainty in our federal government, we cannot count on federal funding like we have in previous years. The federal cuts we already know about will have devastating and rippling consequences. 

Pennsylvania simply does not have the resources to replace federal funding cuts for science.

Rep. Mary Isaacson

Pennsylvania simply does not have the resources to replace federal funding cuts for science, for example. These wanton cuts to funding will not just rob Pennsylvania of the opportunity to be pioneers in technology, scientific research and innovative startups; they’ll also dim our ability to think outside the box to advance our state’s future as we struggle to have people’s basic needs met. 

We are now in a position where we are tasked with the impossible: continuing to fund programs that will keep Pennsylvania competitive and innovative while meeting the basic needs of Pennsylvanians, such as healthcare, food and affordable housing. 

This is not ideal as the state budget is supposed to carve a path for Pennsylvania’s future success. However, it is quickly becoming a reality that we must make difficult decisions. 

To manage the continuing burden of federal dysfunction, state House Democrats continue reaching across the political aisle and across legislative chambers to protect the people of Pennsylvania in every way we can. For example, the House recently acted in bipartisan spirit to protect Pennsylvanians from immoral health insurance companies that are more interested in their bottom line than in helping patients. Everyone deserves easy and affordable access to healthcare. 

The House passed a package of bills in March that are designed to enshrine key elements of the Affordable Care Act, should federal lawmakers and the Trump administration repeal or change the federal healthcare law. 

  • House Bill 535, sponsored by Pittsburgh-area Rep. Dan Frankel, would prohibit Pennsylvania insurers from capping coverage benefits. 
  • House Bill 618, sponsored by Luzerne County Rep. Jim Haddock, would prohibit Pennsylvania insurers from denying or excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions. 
  • House Bill 755, sponsored by Bucks County Rep. Perry Warren, would require Pennsylvania insurers to cover preventative healthcare services without cost-sharing. 
  • House Bill 404, sponsored by Wilkes-Barre-area Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, would allow children to remain on their parents’ private health insurance plan up to the age of 26. 

We need a serious, honest conversation in Pennsylvania — not just about what we fund, but about what we’re being asked to replace. When we have to replace funding cut by the federal government for food assistance for senior citizens and healthcare for the poor and elderly, we will be hard-pressed to both feed people in need and fight for university lab funding for their groundbreaking research. 

Unless the federal government recommits to the basic safety net of healthcare, food and housing, we’re going to be forced to make trade-offs that hurt real people and Pennsylvania’s chances to be a leader in innovation and scientific research. 

This isn’t about partisanship—it’s about partnership. We need Washington, DC, to hold up its end so we can continue doing our job here in Harrisburg. And we need our communities to stay informed, engaged and vocal, because the stakes are too high to be decided in silence.