January 19, 2016
Wagner for Governor/Facebook
State Sen. Scott Wagner is among the candidate seeking the Republican nomination to run for Pennsylvania governor.
The budget battle in Pennsylvania brought out some "House of Cards" language from one state politician, and he's sticking by his remarks.
On Saturday, PoliticsPA quoted Republican Senator Scott Wagner of York County about his party's stalemate with Gov. Tom Wolf.
MORE ON PENNSYLVANIA BUDGET: Pennsylvania school group sues Wolf, legislature over budget impasse
Wagner didn't mince words. He told PoliticsPA that the GOP had him "down on the floor with our foot on his throat and we let him up," adding they wouldn't be so kind next time.
“We had him down on the floor with our foot on his throat and we let him up. Next time, we won’t let him up.” - Sen. Wagner on Gov. Wolf
— Sy Snyder (@PoliticsPA) January 16, 2016
Speaking with the York Daily Record Tuesday, Wagner didn't take anything back. He criticized his opponents for unfairly characterizing him as an extremist:
"I stick by the statement because this is a war between Gov. Wolf and conservative Republicans," he added. "They continue to call me an extremist/Tea Party person, but I'm just a lifelong Republican."
After a seven-month impasse, there's still no budget in sight, as the Senate reconvened Tuesday just three weeks before Wolf is expected to give his second budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
Wolf last vetoed what he called a "pretend" budget from GOP lawmakers, releasing emergency funds for schools that have borrowed millions of dollars while working without state funding.
