Laurel Highlands Today

Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa of Fayette County has expressed her concerns following an incident during the Pennsylvania House Appropriations budget hearing with the state's Department of Transportation. During the session, Krupa questioned the PennDOT secretary regarding alleged misuse of taxpayer resources for personal benefit. The secretary advised that he did not believe the governor was involved in such activities and hinted that Krupa herself might be using taxpayer resources in a similar manner.

Krupa attempted to reply to this remark, but the Democrat Chair of the House Appropriations Committee interrupted her, stating, “you will not overtalk me, or it will be the last time you talk.” The encounter left Krupa feeling that her attempts to clarify her position and address the insinuation were thwarted.

“I believe the chair thought I was disrespecting him, but that was certainly not my intention," Krupa explained. She emphasized that her objective was to counter what she perceived as an "inappropriate suggestion" concerning the ethical use of taxpayer funds and clarified, “I wanted the record to show that I would not engage in that type of activity.”

Krupa expressed her discontent with the chair's reaction, voicing concern that it could hinder her capacity to effectively represent her district during the budgetary process. The representative stressed, “Threatening to refuse to recognize me throughout the budget process not only prevents me from adequately representing my district but also hampers House Republicans’ ability to ask important questions of our state agencies about the use of taxpayer money.”

Krupa concluded by asserting the importance of transparency and accountability in governance and reiterated, “It’s our job to ask tough questions. I have no problem defending myself from the secretary, or anyone else who may question my character. But to be blocked from having the chance to defend myself, then threatening to refuse my recognition when trying to do so, is not in the spirit of transparency Pennsylvanians deserve.”

Contact details for Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa were provided for those seeking further information.