A bill to sever the safety net for vulnerable Pennsylvanians, known as HB 33, passed the state House and now heads to the state Senate.
We need you to find your state Senator and contact them every way you can to urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 33, which would eliminate the General Assistance program in Pennsylvania.
What is General Assistance?
General Assistance is a critical lifeline, a last-resort safety net for people in crisis. In addition to people with disabilities, General Assistance assists people who can’t work, people with zero income, people in rehab for substance use orders, orphaned children, and victims of domestic violence displaced from their homes.
A significant percentage of General Assistance grants serve as bridge loans for people with disabilities. Many people are circumstantially forced to rely on General Assistance while waiting for the Social Security Administration to process their disability claim, a process that can take two years. General Assistance grants range from $170 to $215 a month ($205 in Philly).
Why Are They Trying to Cut It?
Rep. George Dunbar, the primary sponsor of HB33, keeps repeating the word “accountability” when justifying severing the program, presumably because they don’t track what items, typically self-care products like deodorant and maxi pads, people on General Assistance buy with the money.
Hypocrisy
Pennsylvania currently spends $15 million on General Assistance. Every lawmaker voting to sever it earns a base salary of at least $88,610, with $183 per day per diem for travel expenses. Lawmakers do not need to show receipts for per diem payments, which ring into the millions of dollars for one chamber for one calendar year.
The hypocrisy gets even worse. The majority of House representatives who voted against GA benefits for Pennsylvanians with disabilities voted for an abortion ban a few weeks ago by pretending it was a disability right bill, even though it targets families with certain prenatal diagnoses to deprive them of their constitutional rights.
You can compare the votes by looking at the HB33 House vote and then HB321 (political interference/abortion ban) vote.
Take Action!
Next, HB 33 will go to the Senate for a vote.
Find your state Senator and contact—preferably call–them to urge him or her to protect the General Assistance program by OPPOSING House Bill 33.
Contact Governor Wolf and urge him to protect General Assistance.
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