On the latest episode of the Delaware Valley Journal podcast, Republican gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) called the Democrats’ passage of the $1.75 trillion social spending “Build Back Better” bill “tone deaf” and a boon for the Pennsylvania GOP.

“I think the Democrats in D.C. are tone deaf,” Corman said. “They looked at the results of Virginia and said, ‘Well, we’re just not doing enough. That’s why we lost in Virginia,’ and nothing (is) further from the truth. Is what happened to Virginia? What happened…in New Jersey? It wasn’t that they weren’t progressive enough. It’s that they were too far progressive.”

The bill, which the Congressional Budget Office projected will add roughly $250 billion to the federal debt, passed the House on a party-line vote with one exception: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voted no. It now goes to the Senate where major changes are expected.

 

Corman says she believes the ideological extremism of this bill, which mixes social welfare spending and green energy subsidies, will help Republicans next year.

“All the polls are showing in the generic ballots, Republicans are nine, ten points up. If you’re Josh Shapiro, you’re gotta be pulling your hair out, thinking ‘What the heck happened?’

“Ever since this progressive movement has taken over the Democratic Party, you’ve seen Republicans do very well at the polls. Even in 2020, when President Trump lost, Republicans won nationwide. I can tell you from our own state Senate and state House races in Pennsylvania, we won almost every close race there was.

“Republicans are going to win next year,” Corman added.  “I’m confident of that.”