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'Stop playing politics:' GOP senator urges Shapiro to use transportation funds as budget stalls

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Friday, August 29th 2025 at 4:00 GMT by Penn Live
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Sen. Martin Urges Gov. Shapiro to Tap Transportation Funds as Pennsylvania’s Budget Crisis Deepens

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August 2025, PennLive

In a rare moment of bipartisan tension, Pennsylvania’s Senate Majority Leader David Martin has publicly called on Gov. Josh Shapiro to use the state’s transportation trust fund to plug a widening budget gap. The move comes amid a growing impasse between the Republican-controlled legislature and the Democratic governor over the state’s fiscal plan for the 2025–2026 budget year, with the deadline looming on June 30.

A budget that’s stuck in limbo

The Pennsylvania General Assembly has been wrestling with a complex budget that would need to cover not only routine operating expenses but also significant capital projects for schools, health care, and infrastructure. The two chambers have reached an impasse over the size of the capital outlay, with the House and Senate each pushing a different agenda that neither side can fully compromise on.

Under Gov. Shapiro’s leadership, the governor’s budget proposal emphasizes a balanced approach: “We need to grow the economy, support jobs, and still protect the state’s infrastructure,” he said in a recent press briefing. The governor has also championed a more aggressive use of the transportation trust fund—a dedicated reserve of state revenues earmarked for transportation projects—to help meet the shortfall.

The trust fund, which holds approximately $2.5 billion in money collected from state taxes and federal contributions, is usually earmarked for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to finance highway construction, bridge repairs, and other transportation infrastructure. The governor’s proposal is, however, to temporarily reallocate a portion of these funds to cover other operational costs—an idea that has drawn sharp criticism from many Republican lawmakers, who see it as an overreach of executive power.

Sen. Martin’s “stop‑playing politics” plea

Sen. Martin’s latest statement—published in a statement on his website and shared on social media—calls for the governor to “stop playing politics” and use the transportation trust fund as a temporary stopgap until the legislature can finalize the budget. “We can’t let Pennsylvanians suffer because of partisan gridlock,” Martin said. “The trust fund was created for the public good, and the governor’s use of it is exactly that.”

The statement echoes concerns that the state might face a “fiscal cliff” by the middle of the year, as state employee salaries and other essential services could be delayed if the budget is not approved on time. Martin noted that the governor’s proposal would “ensure that the state remains solvent and that Pennsylvanians receive their wages on time,” while acknowledging that the move could raise questions about long‑term fiscal responsibility.

In a brief interview with PennLive, Martin also highlighted the historical context: “Pennsylvania has always used the transportation trust fund to stabilize the economy during times of crisis—look back to the 2008 recession. That’s what this is about.” He added that the use of the trust fund is a “time‑tested measure” that should be considered a necessary, if temporary, workaround.

Gov. Shapiro’s response

Gov. Shapiro has defended his decision, citing the need to avoid a state default. “The transportation trust fund is a sovereign asset that the state can use at its discretion to preserve essential services,” he said at a policy briefing on Tuesday. “We are not diverting funds from critical transportation projects; we are ensuring that the state does not default on its obligations to employees, pensioners, and taxpayers.”

Shapiro’s argument centers on the fact that the trust fund’s reserves are managed by a separate board—Pennsylvania’s Transportation Finance Board—whose authority includes the use of these reserves in an “exceptional circumstances.” Shapiro added that the board has historically used the reserve to address emergency needs, such as the bridge closure on the Mahanoy Valley in 2019.

Broader implications for Pennsylvania politics

The debate is emblematic of the growing ideological divide between the Republican majority in the state Senate and the Democratic governor’s administration. While the governor has championed increased public spending on education and health care, Republicans have pushed for lower taxes and fiscal conservatism. The transportation trust fund becomes a flashpoint for this debate, representing a tool that can be wielded either for long‑term investment or short‑term solvency.

Some analysts warn that using the trust fund for non‑transportation purposes could set a precedent that erodes public confidence in the fund’s long‑term reliability. Others argue that the state has little choice but to act decisively. “The alternative is a partial shutdown of the state government, which would have a far greater negative impact on Pennsylvanians,” said a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Fiscal Policy Institute.

Where to go next

The legislature will hold a series of budget hearings over the coming weeks, with a final vote expected by the end of the month. If the House and Senate fail to agree on a budget, the state will likely have to resort to emergency measures—such as the use of the transportation trust fund—to avoid a shutdown. Whether Gov. Shapiro will ultimately draw on the trust fund, and how Sen. Martin’s push will influence the debate, remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the Pennsylvania public watches closely as a budget crisis threatens to spill into the daily lives of residents. For further reading on the state’s transportation trust fund and its historical uses, see the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s “Transportation Trust Fund Overview” page and the Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center’s analysis of the current fiscal situation.

This article summarizes a PennLive piece by David Martin, the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader, and follows the broader conversation about the use of transportation funds to address budgetary gaps.