HARRISBURG, PA- Senator Pat Browne, R-16th District (Lehigh), was re-elected today (November 12) by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee for the 2021-22 Legislative Session that will begin in January.

Senator Browne has served in this role since 2015.

“I am honored by the confidence and trust my colleagues continue to place in my leadership as chairman of this very important committee,” Senator Browne said. “I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion with my House and Senate colleagues to promote good fiscal stewardship and to craft fiscally responsible budgets that address the Commonwealth’s most pressing needs.

“My first responsibility is the continued negotiations to close out the remaining seven months of the current fiscal year 2020-21 budget. Given the unknown financial ramifications due to the COVID-19 health crisis and the stay-at-home order that limited business activity and state revenues and saw unemployment numbers reach heights never before seen in Pennsylvania history, it was paramount that in May we only budgeted for the first five months of the new fiscal year until we gained a clearer picture of where state finances stood. By so doing, that extra time has not only given us a more accurate outlook, but also, thanks to revenues that outperformed estimates, the Independent Fiscal Office has updated its fiscal projections for the current year and reduced significantly the budget gap needed to close on the final seven months of Fiscal Year 2020-21.”

The Appropriations Committee reviews all legislation for its fiscal impact and develops and negotiates the state budget on behalf of the Senate Republican caucus each year.

In addition to chairing the Appropriations Committee, Senator Browne serves on the Education, Health & Human Services and Local Government committees as well as Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Senator Browne also serves as Chairman of the Early Childhood Education Caucus and as a board member of the Public Employee Retirement Commission, the Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority. He is also a Co-founder and Co-chair of the Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus.

 
Information provided to TVL by:
Matt Szuchyt
Deputy Director of Policy & Communications
Senator Pat Browne
Majority Appropriations Chairman
PA 16th Senatorial District
www.senatorbrowne.com
 
 

 

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