CAPITOL ROUNDUP: DCED highlights proposed investment in state's innovation economy
Apr. 27—WILKES-BARRE — Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger this week highlighted the Shapiro Administration's commitment to fostering Pennsylvania's innovation economy.
Building on that commitment, Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2025-2026 proposed budget creates a new, $50 million PA Innovation program, which includes a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation.
"From our world-class research institutions to our skilled workforce, Pennsylvania has the resources to be an innovation leader," said Secretary Siger.
Gov. Shapiro and his Administration have been committed to making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation. The 2024-25 enacted budget made significant investments aligned with the overall 10-year Economic Development Strategy.
Life sciences is one of the five key industries of the economic development strategy, and a major focus of the Shapiro Administration.
The Shapiro Administration also recently helped break ground on GSK's expansion in Marietta. The global biopharma company is investing $800 million into the project, which will create more than 200, new high paying jobs and retain 4,622 employees. The Commonwealth invested $21 million towards the expansion.
Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal calls for more than $160 million in total new and expanded investments to implement the Economic Development Strategy and increase our competitiveness, strengthen communities, and address critical housing needs.
Fostering innovation is a key component of Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal, which includes:
—$50 million for the new PA Innovation program, including a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation.
—$10 million for AdvancePA tax credits to create high-quality jobs across Pennsylvania.
—$12.5 million dedicated to WEDnetPA to expand our workforce and close critical workforce gaps.
—$2 million for the creation of Career Connect to build internships at Pennsylvania companies.
Rep. Meuser co-sponsors bill to block Social Security payments to illegal immigrants
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, recently co-sponsored H.R. 1172 — the No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act of 2025 — legislation that will ensure individuals in the United States illegally cannot collect benefits from Social Security programs.
Rep. Meuser said the legislation amends the Social Security Act to ensure that wages earned through unauthorized employment by illegal immigrants do not count toward eligibility for Social Security benefits. This means individuals who worked in the U.S. without legal status would be barred from collecting benefits based on those earnings. The policy would apply to income earned before, during, or after the bill becomes law.
Rep. Meuser said the legislation is in line with President Trump's executive order directing federal agencies to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing Social Security programs and to strengthen fraud enforcement. He said recent audits by the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified major gaps in death records and benefit tracking systems, creating a heightened risk of improper payments — in fact, the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified $72 billion in improper payments made over the past decade.
Further, Rep. Meuser said the White House reports that more than 2 million illegal immigrants were assigned Social Security Numbers in fiscal year 2024 alone.
Rep. Meuser has also introduced the Payment Information Integrity Reform Act — legislation aimed at reducing the more than $230 billion in improper federal payments reported last year.
That bill would strengthen oversight, require stricter financial controls at federal agencies, and impose penalties for repeated noncompliance — helping prevent taxpayer dollars from being sent to ineligible recipients, including illegal immigrants, Meuser said.
"Hardworking Americans pay into Social Security expecting those benefits to be there when they retire — not to be paid out to people here illegally," said Rep. Meuser. "This legislation builds on President Trump's leadership and takes a necessary step to stop abuse, restore integrity to the system, and protect the future of Social Security for Americans who have earned it and rely on it."
The No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
PUC invites public comments following hearing on grid impacts of high-demand energy growth
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week announced the opening of a formal public comment period following the Commission's April 24 en banc hearing examining the impact of hyper-scale data centers and other large-load energy users on Pennsylvania's electric grid.
"This issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for our state," said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. "We are entering a time of extraordinary electricity demand growth, driven by AI, cloud computing, and other evolving technologies. As we move forward, the Commission is committed to thoughtful, transparent policy-making — and we look forward to reviewing the post-hearing comments and input from the public as we continue this important process."
The hearing featured three expert panels representing electric distribution companies, major energy users, and public and consumer advocates, focusing on the need for clear and fair rules to ensure grid reliability, manage infrastructure needs, and safeguard ratepayers.
Public comment period and instructions
The PUC is now accepting public comments on the issues raised during the hearing through Tuesday, May 27, 2025. A 15-day reply comment period will follow, with reply comments due by Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
19 minutes ago
- UPI
Supreme Court allows DOGE staffers to access Social Security data
June 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing members of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency to access personal Social Security Administration data. On Friday, the Court's six conservatives granted an emergency application filed by the Trump administration to lift an injunction issued by a federal judge in Maryland. Opposing the injunction were the three liberal justices: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. There are 69 million retirees, disabled workers, dependents and survivors who receive Social Security benefits, representing 28.75% of the U.S. population. In a separate two-page order issued Friday, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration for now to shield DOGE from freedom of information requests seeking thousands of pages of material. This vote also was 6-3 with no written dissenting opinions. In the two-page unsigned order on access, the court said: "We conclude that, under the present circumstances, SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work." The conservatives are Chief Justice John Roberts, and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Three of them were nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term. U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander, appointed by President Barack Obama, had ruled that DOGE staffers had no need to access the specific data. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Virginia, declined to block Hollander's decision. The lawsuit was filed by progressive group Democracy Forward on behalf of two unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as the Alliance for Retired Americans. They alleged broader access to personal information would violate a federal law, the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. "This is a sad day for our democracy and a scary day for millions of people," the groups said in a statement. "This ruling will enable President Trump and DOGE's affiliates to steal Americans' private and personal data. Elon Musk may have left Washington, D.C., but his impact continues to harm millions of people. We will continue to use every legal tool at our disposal to keep unelected bureaucrats from misusing the public's most sensitive data as this case moves forward." Social Security Works posted on X: "No one in history -- no commissioner, no president, no one -- has ever had the access that these DOGE minions have." White House spokesperson Liz Huston after the ruling told NBC News that "the Supreme Court allowing the Trump Administration to carry out commonsense efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse and modernize government information systems is a huge victory for the rule of law." Brown Jackson wrote a nine-page dissenting opinion that the "Government fails to substantiate its stay request by showing that it or the public will suffer irreparable harm absent this Court's intervention. In essence, the 'urgency' underlying the government's stay application is the mere fact that it cannot be bothered to wait for the litigation process to play out before proceeding as it wishes." She concluded her dissent by writing: "The Court opts instead to relieve the Government of the standard obligations, jettisoning careful judicial decisionmaking and creates grave privacy risks for millions of Americans in the process." Kathleen Romig, who worked as a senior adviser at the agency during the Biden administration, told CNN that Americans should be concerned about how DOGE has handled highly sensitive data so far. She said the personal data runs "from cradle to grave." "While the appeals court considers whether DOGE is violating the law, its operatives will have 'God-level' access to Social Security numbers, earnings records, bank routing numbers, mental and reproductive health records and much more," Romig, who now is director of Social Security and disability policy at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. When Trump became president again on Jan. 20, he signed an executive order establishing DOGE with the goal of "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." Nearly a dozen DOGE members have been installed at the agency, according to court filings. In all, there are about 90 DOGE workers. DOGE, which was run by billionaire Elon Musk until he left the White House one week ago, wants to modernize systems and detect waste and fraud at the agency. "These teams have a business need to access the data at their assigned agency and subject the government's records to much-needed scrutiny," Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the court motion. The data includes Social Security numbers, date and place of birth, gender, addresses, marital and parental status, parents' names, lifetime earnings, bank account information, immigration and work authorization status, health conditions for disability benefits and use of Medicare. SSA also has data-sharing agreements with the IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services. The plaintiffs wrote: "The agency is obligated by the Privacy Act and its own regulations, practices, and procedures to keep that information secure -- and not to share it beyond the circle of those who truly need it." Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, who was sworn in to the post on May 7, said in a statement: that"The Supreme Court's ruling is a major victory for American taxpayers. The Social Security Administration will continue driving forward modernization efforts, streamlining government systems, and ensuring improved service and outcomes for our beneficiaries." On May 23, Roberts temporarily put lower court decisions on hold while the Supreme Court considered what next steps to take. Musk called Social Security "the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time" during an interview with Joe Rogan on Feb. 28. The Social Security system, which started in 1935, transfers current workers' payroll tax payments to people who are already retired. The payroll tax is a mandatory tax paid by employees and employers. The total current tax rate is 12.4%. There is a separate 2.9% tax for Medicare.
American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
VA employees rally in Philly: ‘Save our jobs, save our vets'
Dozens of Philadelphia workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs gathered Thursday under an unyielding sun chanting: 'Save our jobs, save our vets.' Come lunchtime, allies and members of the American Federation of Government Employees arrived at Baltimore and University Avenues, outside the Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, for a rally to protect the members' union contract and benefits amid a shake-up of federal agencies by President Donald Trump's administration. A rally of VA employees at the VA medical Center in West Philadelphia, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) 'We have federal employees who have devoted their lives to take care of America and the thanks we get is … reductions, downsize on our pay, downgrading positions,' said Karen Ford Woods, president of AFGE Local 1793. 'When you take away our jobs, you take away service to America.' In March, Trump moved to end union representation for many federal agencies, including the VA. The VA stopped withholding union dues from worker paychecks in late April, and AFGE has lost dues-paying members as a result. Some have been transferring to an alternate payment system. The VA is one of the largest government employers in Pennsylvania, with roughly 19,321 employees as of September. The majority work for the Veterans Health Administration, which provides health care to veterans. AFGE Local 1793's members, who numbered 1,400 in April, include nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other employees at the medical center in West Philly, community care-based clinics in the region, and administrative offices. Since the dues deduction stopped, membership is down to 800, said Yul Owens Jr., executive vice president of AFGE Local 1793. State Reps. Rick Krajewski, left, and Amen Brown, right, attend and speak at a rally of VA employees at the VA medical Center in West Philadelphia, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) 'Make no mistake about it, those executive orders aim to break our union; they aim to end our collective bargaining agreement and, most importantly, the workers' rights that we have,' Owens said, as passing drivers honked in support. VA employees have been among those affected by the Trump administration's efforts to shrink and reshape the federal workforce. The administration has ordered agencies to make plans for significant reductions in force, and put forth a deferred resignation program offering employees the chance to leave their jobs and continue getting paid for several months. Those plans include cutting 80,000 VA jobs. But mass layoffs appear to be on hold, blocked by the order of a federal judge in California. Amid the uncertainty, Everett Kelley, AFGE national president, said the administration needs to realize what the cuts mean for federal workers. 'Programs like Social Security and collective bargaining agreements aren't just paperwork,' Kelley said. 'They are the lifeline for millions of Americans.' AFGE has also expressed concerns about provisions included in the proposed federal budget bill that, union leaders say, would diminish federal workers' rights. The bill passed in the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate. A changing VA workplace in Philly Amid the threat of layoffs and the possible departure of colleagues accepting the resignation offer, VA workers living within 50 miles of a federal office were ordered to return to in-person work by May 5, and those who live farther have until late July. In the meantime, business must continue. After 40 years of service, Theresa Heard, 60, said, she feels betrayed by Washington but she cannot let her veterans know it. 'There is a commitment from people to put a smile on their face and greet every veteran as if they matter most,' Heard said. 'You have to stay focused on your job, you show up, and you pay attention to what work needs to be (done) for that day.' As a mother helping her children pay student loans, she cannot afford to lose her job. But she is committed to fight alongside her union for both her and the veterans she serves. 'I don't believe they actually know the work that we put in; I don't think they understand the commitment that you get from federal employees not always having all the ideal circumstances but finding a way to get the work done for our veterans.' ___ © 2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
FIRST ON FOX: A House committee witness who was called out by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California during a hearing this week is pushing back after the congressman unearthed a past social media post on Social Security in an attempt to discredit his testimony. During a House oversight DOGE subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Garcia grilled Power the Future CEO Dan Turner while holding up a posterboard of a past tweet calling Social Security a "government-sponsored Ponzi scheme." "Madoff went to jail for it. Congress runs on it," the post said. "I should be able to keep 100% of my money and not watch government waste it with a paltry percentage return." Garcia then suggested that post was evidence that Turner lacks the credibility to be testifying about the billions of federal tax dollars directed to left-wing NGOs. Social Security Commissioner Breaks Down Plan To Save Agency From Insolvency "A Ponzi scheme and so I think it's interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that's the person that we should be taking advice from here today," Garcia said. Read On The Fox News App "Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it's ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life." Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. Sen Elizabeth Warren: Social Security Is Under Attack. Gutting It Is A Broken Promise "Rep Garcia does not know the definition of Ponzi scheme," Turner said. "Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi, demanding more and more people at the bottom pay in to fund the people at the top, expect our demographics have this now reversed. The system will default. Mr. Garcia nor I will likely never see a dime. That should worry him more than my social media feed." Turner told Fox News Digital that if Garcia's staff were to spend as much time trying to save Social Security as it did "combing through my social media" then "perhaps the Ponzi scheme can survive long enough for me to get a small percentage of what the government confiscated during my lifetime." Turner explained that his father had received a "paltry percentage" of what he paid into the program and the the government "kept the rest" when his father died. "That's not just a Ponzi scheme, it's government greed and politicians running a money-laundering operation to get reelected. No one should be compelled to pay into a failed system, yet in a free America, you don't have that choice." In addition to Turner and Elon Musk suggesting that Social Security is by definition set up like a Ponzi scheme, Fox News Digital previously spoke to James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, who said the characterization has "validity." 'Failure's Not An Option': Trump Budget Bill Will Be 'Big' Help For Seniors, Top House Tax-writer Says "A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors," Agresti said. "That's the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that's exactly how Social Security operates." Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, a program mired for decades with concerns about waste, fraud, and improper payments, "doesn't take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we're older" like many Americans might believe. "What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes," Agresti said. "That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now, there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations." The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being "looted," Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to "put surpluses in it" from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn't pay out immediately and pays interest on. "The interest that's been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation," Agresti said. "So, the problem isn't that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme." Democrats have vocally pushed back against efforts by Republicans and DOGE to reform Social Security or make cuts to what they say are examples of wasteful or improper spending from the department. "There's been a lot of misinformation about that as of late," Agresti told Fox News Digital. "You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they're paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially." Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old-age benefit. "Every single study shows social security going completely bankrupt in the next few years. Garcia and other democrats know the iceberg is ahead but rather than turn the ship, they are yelling at the iceberg about the senior citizens onboard," Turner said. "This Ponzi scheme is collapsing fast, and turning my tweets into posters is not going to stop it."Original article source: House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
