Political Violence
Pa Governor Josh Shapiro was a guest on WILK's Morning News. You can listen to the interview HERE. On the issue of political violence, Gov. Shapiro said that many people across the country, regardless of political party, want to see an end to political violence. He believes political violence is "insidious" because it's meant to harm individuals and also to silence others, making it harder to find common ground. The governor noted that both Democrats and Republicans have been targets of political violence, which can leave physical and emotional scars, and sometimes even takes lives. He shared that his family was the target of an arson attack at the governor's residence, and someone has been charged with attempted murder in relation to the event.
Shapiro said that leaders need to act with "moral clarity" to condemn violence and not "cherry-pick" which violence is acceptable. He believes the majority of people are good and decent, and leaders should follow their lead. He stated that after his family was targeted, people from all walks of life in Pennsylvania, including Republicans, Democrats, independents, and those from rural, urban, and suburban areas, offered prayers and condemned the violence. Shapiro believes leaders are not meeting the standards the people have set for them and that some leaders "foment this type of hate" and play political games when people are targeted.
Healthcare
When asked about a bill that is projected to increase healthcare premiums and cut federal funding for Medicaid, Governor Shapiro said that the state would not be able to "backfill the cuts". He stated that the cuts will affect everyone, and nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians will lose access to Medicaid. For those with insurance through the Affordable Care Act, the subsidy that helped reduce premiums will be going away, resulting in a loss of coverage or a dramatic increase in cost. For those with private insurance, premiums will also go up because more people will be uninsured, leading to "uncompensated care" that drives up prices for everyone else.
Shapiro said that the U.S. Congress needs to "roll back these cuts" and urged citizens to ask their representatives why they voted for the bill and what they will do to protect healthcare access.
Vaccine Guidance
Governor Shapiro said that the federal government, including President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has caused "massive chaos" regarding vaccine guidance. He believes in personal freedom, stating that people should be able to choose which vaccine they want in consultation with their doctor. He said that the federal government's guidance on the COVID-19 vaccine initially made it available only to people over 65 or those with pre-existing conditions. This left states like Pennsylvania, which follow CDC guidelines, without the ability to provide vaccines to others.
To address this, Shapiro directed the Pennsylvania Board of Pharmacy to meet and clarify that people can follow other guidance, including that of the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. As a result, healthy people under 65 can now get access to the COVID shot at their local pharmacy. Shapiro said he has also joined forces with other states in the Northeast to share information based on facts and science, not "innuendo and conspiracy theories". He believes this is a personal matter that should be discussed between individuals and their doctors or pharmacists.
Shapiro acknowledged that it is dangerous when there are "50 different answers" to public health questions and said that there is an assumption at the state and federal levels that people will act in the best interest of public health and safety. He finds it concerning that some people are now ignoring science and spreading conspiracy theories.
Budget Impasse
Shapiro stated that Pennsylvania has a budget impasse because the state Senate, led by Republicans, has only worked for 29 days in the last 233 days. He introduced his budget 233 days ago and has worked to narrow the differences between the Republican-led Senate and the Democratic-led House, but the "ball's in their court now".
He said he can propose, vote on, and sign a budget, but he can't write it. He wants schools to be funded and wants to do big economic development deals, but the legislature needs to "show up for work and do their jobs" and put a budget on his desk.