Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus
11/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2025 18:50
James Votes ‘Yes’ on 2025-26 State Budget, Enacted into Law
Nov. 12, 2025
HARRISBURG - Following a 135-day budgetary standoff, Rep. Lee James (R-Venango/Crawford) announced the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget is now law after the House passed the $50.1 billion spending plan by a 156-47 vote.
"I am grateful to see the long stalemate finally reach a resolution so we can help the people who elected us to serve them," said James. "This has been very stressful for everyone. While every budget is not perfect, I am proud to see cooler heads prevail where compromises were made for the betterment of Pennsylvania residents."
Despite being in the minority, House Republicans were able to secure several victories to help residents in Venango and Crawford counties. This includes:
- Reducing Gov. Josh Shapiro's initial proposal by $1.4 billion while not touching the Rainy Day Fund or the interest.
- Expanding criteria for fast-track permits and adding two permits to the list of those that will be approved automatically if not acted upon in time.
- Creating a more transparent, accountable process to limit failures within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, such as requiring the Department of Human Services to check death certificates with the Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics against its recipients of SNAP.
- Preventing the legalization of recreational marijuana.
- Increasing scholarships and improving literacy programs to help more children get the education they deserve regardless of ZIP code.
"These achievements are issues residents in Venango and Crawford counties care deeply about," said James. "It is important to ensure our district is pro-family by strengthening the economy, public safety, accountability and education. We want to be a place that everyone can look up to, and I believe this budget helps us achieve that goal."
Representative R. Lee James
64th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
"I am grateful to see the long stalemate finally reach a resolution so we can help the people who elected us to serve them," said James. "This has been very stressful for everyone. While every budget is not perfect, I am proud to see cooler heads prevail where compromises were made for the betterment of Pennsylvania residents."
Despite being in the minority, House Republicans were able to secure several victories to help residents in Venango and Crawford counties. This includes:
- Reducing Gov. Josh Shapiro's initial proposal by $1.4 billion while not touching the Rainy Day Fund or the interest.
- Expanding criteria for fast-track permits and adding two permits to the list of those that will be approved automatically if not acted upon in time.
- Creating a more transparent, accountable process to limit failures within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, such as requiring the Department of Human Services to check death certificates with the Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics against its recipients of SNAP.
- Preventing the legalization of recreational marijuana.
- Increasing scholarships and improving literacy programs to help more children get the education they deserve regardless of ZIP code.
"These achievements are issues residents in Venango and Crawford counties care deeply about," said James. "It is important to ensure our district is pro-family by strengthening the economy, public safety, accountability and education. We want to be a place that everyone can look up to, and I believe this budget helps us achieve that goal."
Representative R. Lee James
64th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus published this content on November 12, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 13, 2025 at 00:50 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]