The attached statement was
released by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) on
behalf of the Massachusetts House Republican Caucus following this morning’s
House standing vote to accept the conference committee report on the FY23 final
deficiency appropriations bill:
“The House
Republican Caucus understands the importance of passing a final deficiency
appropriations bill to address the unfunded union contract situation, provide
disaster relief funding for cities and towns, and meet the fiduciary
responsibilities associated with closing the books on Fiscal Year 2023. At the
same time, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of meaningful reforms
contained in the bill to address the emergency shelter crisis created by the
recent influx of thousands of migrants, which remains an untenable situation
that must be resolved. Democratic leadership put us in an impossible situation
by intentionally weaving these separate issues together. There is no legitimate
reason that funding for union contracts and aid for cities and towns needed to be
tied to controversial immigration policy; it was done by design.
The Democrats are
trying to promote a false narrative laying the blame on our caucus for holding
up final action on the closeout budget for the last few days. The reality is
the Democrats delayed action on this bill for nearly two months, failed to
reach an agreement before formal sessions ended on November 15, and did not
produce a conference committee report until November 30, exactly eleven weeks
after Governor Healey first filed the bill.
There has been
little regard over the past 19 days, by some, for those caught in the
crosshairs of this situation. We are in deep disagreement with the flawed
immigration policy and lack of meaningful reform contained in the conference
committee report. We all know the funding in this bill is just the tip of the iceberg
which will ultimately crowd out spending in other areas absent serious and
meaningful reforms.
We are dismayed
that we were denied the opportunity by Democratic leadership to do our job as
legislators, the job that we were elected to do by the citizens of this
Commonwealth. Our Democrat colleagues, and all citizens who exercise their
right to vote, no matter their opinion on these particular issues, also should
be deeply dismayed by that fact. However, we refuse to engage in political
games with the livelihoods of the hardworking men and women of our great state
during the holiday season when they are already burdened daily by enormous
financial obstacles created by failed policies, wasteful spending, and
burdensome regulation. These contracts were negotiated in good faith and agreed
to many months ago, and these workers should have received their pay raises
before Labor Day, without being dragged by leadership into such a highly
contentious issue as immigration policy.
Whether the
majority party likes it or not, this is a democracy, and a democracy works best
when multiple viewpoints are afforded a voice. One-party rule stifles debate,
silences voices, and moves our state further from the democracy that this
country was built on. When the majority ignores the rights of the minority,
democracy is lost, and that is nothing to celebrate.”
