Gaydos Votes to Terminate Gov. Wolf’s Emergency Declaration

June 9, 2020

HARRISBURG – Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) today issued the following statement after voting in favor of House Resolution 836, a measure that would terminate the COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration issued by Gov. Tom Wolf:

“We have now had four consecutive weeks with fewer than 1,000 cases per day and nearly 70% of all Pennsylvanians who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered,” Gaydos said. “It is our duty as members of a co-equal branch of government to impose checks and balances on the governor’s actions to represent the people of Pennsylvania.

“For the last three months, the governor has seemingly acted at will while hard-working Pennsylvanians’ livelihoods hung in the balance,” Gaydos continued. “At the outset of this disaster declaration, the governor’s stated goal was to flatten the curve. We achieved this goal in April.

“Despite this, the governor’s recent extension of our state’s emergency declaration at a time when active cases, hospitalizations and positive tests continue to decline across the state illustrates the need for the General Assembly to step in and put an end to this declaration.

Section 7301 of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Management Services Code grants the governor the authority to declare a disaster emergency as he did on March 6. It also states that “The General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a state of disaster emergency at any time.”

“By terminating this declaration, we are by no means proclaiming that the coronavirus is eradicated,” Gaydos continued. “What we are doing is standing up for our state’s businesses and putting an end to the harmful restrictions that have cost countless Pennsylvanians their livelihoods.”

House Resolution 836 passed Tuesday by a vote of 121-81.

Representative Valerie Gaydos
44th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives