Gov. Wolf Reignites Push For $2K Payments To PA Residents

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf is still seeking ways to bring another round of $2,000 stimulus check payments directly to Pennsylvanians, after Republicans in the legislature rejected his initial efforts back in February.

The governor joined other Democratic officials this week to discuss the PA Opportunity Program, a $1.7 billion proposal to use the state's federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to help families handle recovery from the pandemic and historic inflation. Part of that was $500 billion earmarked for direct payments.

“People need help now, and we can afford to help them," Gov. Wolf said in a statement. "Let’s put this cash back in the pockets of Pennsylvanians, to help cover the higher costs of gas, groceries, and everything else.”

The governor added that his experiences the past few months have convinced him to reinvigorate efforts to get something done.

"As I've traveled the commonwealth, I've heard directly from so many people about how much this program would mean to them and their families," he said. "I'm not going to stop fighting until the people of Pennsylvania get the help they need and deserve."

In the proposal, all households with an income of $80,000 or less would receive direct payments of up to $2,000.

The legislation proposed in February received broad Democratic support, but the support largely stopped at party lines. No new legislation has yet been introduced, but it seems like a matter of time.

State Sen. Tim Kearney, part of a cadre of representatives that joined the governor in speaking this week, said that the state needed to learn from the past. “The slow growth from the Great Recession taught us we can’t have top-down approaches – we need a bottom-up recovery that gives everyone a piece of the pie," he argued.

It's not yet clear what level of support the bills have, though Republican leadership largely advocated for other recovery measures. State Senate President Jake Corman, for one, has called for cuts to the state's gas tax.

"Inflation does not need to be where it is," House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff said in a recent address to the House. "Gas prices can come down using the products we have right here in our own state and in our own country."

Jason Gottesman, the spokesperson for Benninghoff, reportedly said that payments like these would only contribute to the rise of inflation.

"Gov. Wolf in his proposal is trying to give Pennsylvanians the same pill that makes them ill," Gottesman told The Daily American earlier in June.

Advocates for the payments noted that if the money is not used, it will be sent back to the federal government by December 31, 2024.