Garden State Times

Senator Declan O’Scanlon, a Republican representing New Jersey's 13th district, issued a statement following reports that Governor Phil Murphy's office has instructed state departments to reduce spending by 5%.

O'Scanlon expressed his concerns over the state's financial management under Governor Murphy's administration. “Wait, you mean Republicans were right in our dire budgetary predictions EVERY YEAR of this administration’s kicking the can down the road?!? Well what do you know! The looming fiscal cliff is a reality that many Republicans, like myself, saw coming because of Governor Murphy’s wild seven-year-long spending binge, as well as their failure to enact responsible and essential cost-saving reforms,” said Sen. O’Scanlon.

He further suggested that if the governor intends to address these issues effectively, he should consider implementing moderate restraints and reclaiming unspent funds from numerous budget items deemed unnecessary over recent years. “If the Governor is serious about righting the ship, he can start by embracing moderate restraints and clawing back hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent balances from hundreds of frivolous pork items that were jammed in the budget over the past three years. When he starts with that low-hanging fruit, people might take his claims of frugality seriously.”

Senate Republicans have long cautioned both Governor Murphy and Trenton Democrats about potential fiscal challenges while offering solutions aimed at mitigating these issues. O'Scanlon emphasized this point by stating: “Cutting the cost of bureaucracy is a good first step, but if the Governor truly wants to avoid a disastrous fiscal cliff and protect New Jersey taxpayers, he’ll listen to Republicans’ cost-saving measures that have gone long ignored in previous budget cycles.”

For further inquiries or to arrange an interview with Senator O’Scanlon, Chris Sivel can be contacted at [email protected].