Dermody on veto override: end the legislative games

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    September 23, 2020

Following the House session that included a veto override vote on HB2787, Democratic Leader Frank Dermody issued this statement:

“Despite an effort by House Republicans to dismantle an important health protection measure related to school sports, the House voted today to sustain Gov. Wolf’s veto of the bill. 

“It’s regrettable that the majority party spent so much time and effort on this misdirected effort when many more serious matters demand attention, including providing hazard pay and PPE for frontline workers, time-sensitive election reforms, help for small businesses and ensuring the continuation of health insurance coverage.  House Democrats have sought movement on these urgent issues for months while Republicans flailed about in a pointless political skirmish with the governor.

“The urgency of serious legislative action on these other issues became even more apparent in the last week with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the imminent appointment of a Supreme Court nominee who will vote to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

“Today, House Democrats took action to protect Pennsylvania health care consumers by filing resolutions to discharge four bills from the House Health Committee where they have been stuck since April, after previously sitting untouched for more than a year in the House Insurance Committee.  In the interest of protecting lifesaving insurance coverage for Pennsylvanians, Democrats will pursue immediate votes on these four bills when the House convenes again next week:

  • Protecting people with pre-existing conditions from losing health insurance (HB471)
  • Ensuring essential health benefits are covered by all insurance plans (HB469)
  • Ending lifetime limits on coverage (HB470)
  • Preserving insurance coverage for adult children up to age 26 (HB913)

“I hope all House members will join us in this effort. The virus is the true enemy that we must defeat by working together in a truly bipartisan way. It’s time to get serious about our work and end the legislative games.”