PA Senate President Pro Tempore Corman Responds to Governor Wolf’s Recall Request, False Accusations

https://www.senatorcorman.com/2021/09/13/senate-president-pro-tempore-corman-responds-to-governor-wolfs-recall-request-false-accusations/

Posted on Sep 13, 2021

HARRISBURG – Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-34) issued the following statement in reaction to Governor Wolf’s statement regarding his recall of Acting Secretary of State Degraffenreid:

“There are many legitimate questions about the performance of the Department of State over the past year. They failed to properly advertise a constitutional amendment to provide relief to sexual assault victims, they removed critical voter security measures in the lead-up to the 2020 General Election, they released confusing and contradictory guidance and clarifications up until the night of the election, they inserted misleading language into ballot questions for constitutional amendments, and they have administered recent elections in a way that is deeply partisan.

“If we turned a blind eye to these colossal failures, we would not be doing the job our constituents elected us to do. The Senate State Government Committee and the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee scheduled several hearings to answer questions related to these controversies. We have the constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent, not to be a rubber stamp for the Administration. There would not be a need for many of these hearings if they did their jobs fairly and honestly.

“Furthermore, only one entity has threatened counties, and it is the Wolf Administration. Instead of acknowledging the authority of the legislature to provide oversight over our elections, they threatened counties with the loss of millions of dollars if they participated in any Senate investigation.

“Governor Wolf has recalled the Acting Secretary’s nomination, but we are under no obligation to honor that request. The Acting Secretary’s threats against counties and her refusal to participate in bipartisan election hearings will be considered by the Senate Republican Caucus as we plan how to proceed with her nomination.”