HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The latest chapter in the power struggle in the Pennsylvania House was written Monday when Republican Bryan Cutler had himself sworn in and claimed he is now the majority leader — less than a week after the Democratic leader did the same thing.
Cutler says it’s not the way he would have preferred to be sworn in — “however, the circumstances of today really were brought about by some of the really unprecedented actions by the Democrat leader in declaring [that] a tie [is] a majority.”
Cutler is referring to Philadelphia Democrat Joanna McClinton, having herself sworn in last week, claiming her party held the majority and that she was therefore majority leader, and scheduled special elections for three vacant seats.
Democrats won a one-seat majority in the House last month — 102 of 203 seats — but western Pennsylvania Democrat Tony DeLuca died before the election, and two other Democrats resigned because they won higher office.
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Cutler says Democrats can’t count an empty seat.
“If there's a vacancy, that person doesn't get to vote, and it doesn't count towards the majority, in terms of determining what a majority opinion is. So the precedent, I think, is very clear,” he said.
“I was sworn in as the Republican leader. It is the math that makes me the majority leader, at 101 to 99.”
McClinton scheduled special elections for the three open seats on Feb. 7 — all in districts that Democrats won by comfortable margins. But Republicans are also challenging those dates in Commonwealth Court, saying Democrats don’t have a majority, so McClinton lacks the authority to set those dates.
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Cutler said the elections might be delayed now that courts are involved. Beyond that, he said, McClinton’s secret swearing-in “creates a relationship that lacks trust, and it creates a problem going forward.”
A spokeswoman for House Democrats says Republicans are stalling the elections in an effort to “advance extremist policies in flagrant opposition to the message delivered on Election Day.”