Election Recap
Voters went to the polls on November 5th and made their voices heard. Here’s an overview of the results for you:
Presidential Election
Donald Trump secured the presidency, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris by reclaiming key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Trump won 312 electoral votes compared to Harris’s 226, marking a rightward shift compared to the 2020 results.
U.S. Senate
Republicans regained control of the Senate, flipping key seats in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The GOP now holds a 53-47 majority. Here in Pennsylvania, David McCormick narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, a pivotal race that contributed to the GOP majority. The new Republican majority held leadership elections, with Sen. John Thune of South Dakota becoming the new Senate Majority Leader.
U.S. House of Representatives
The GOP retained a slight edge in the House, with a 214-205 lead as of the latest counts. This narrow majority may lead to challenges in advancing legislation without bipartisan cooperation. Congressman Mike Johnson is expected to retain the gavel as Speaker of the House.
Democrats Hold on to the Pennsylvania House
While the Republicans strengthened their position in the State Senate, Democrats maintained their slim majority in the State House. This balance will continue to shape legislative debates on key state issues and impact Gov. Shapiro’s agenda in the coming years.
PCRG reaffirms our commitment to uphold progress in fair lending, affordable housing, and community investment for underserved communities, working closely with our members and partners, for an inclusive Pittsburgh region.
Non-profits linked to terrorism
Members of the U. S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 9495, which would allow the Treasury Secretary to revoke 501(c)(3) non-profit status from any group they deemed a terrorist organization. The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act passed by a vote of 219-184, largely along party lines. The bill is not expected to pass the Senate this year and would likely not survive a filibuster-proof 60-vote threshold in the near future. “This policy represents executive overreach of historic proportions and opens the door for retribution and stifling of voices just because the president might not agree with an organization’s mission.”
New HUD Secretary
The Trump Transition team has been rolling out nominations for cabinet positions and has announced former Trump Administration official Scott Turner as their pick for secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council under the first Trump administration. He currently chairs the Center for Education Opportunity and the America First Policy Institute.
During his time with the Trump administration, he was instrumental in the creation of Opportunity Zones and securing private investments for community projects in partnership with the government. As the chief of HUD, Turner is expected to push for the elimination of homelessness programming and policies related to fair housing, as well as significant cuts to the department’s $70 billion budget.
Turner also served in the Texas House of Representatives and previously played defensive back in the National Football League.
County Budget
There is an impending showdown between Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and County Council over her 2025 budget proposal, which calls for a 2.2-millage property tax increase to cover the loss of commercial real estate tax revenue, federal COVID relief funding, and inflation.
The $1.2 billion proposal faces a stiff challenge from County Council members, some of whom have publicly stated they would not support the tax increase and called for Innamorato to make difficult cuts to balance the budget. However, the County Executive has warned that if this version is not passed, it would require the elimination of more than 1,000 county jobs, including police, human services staff, and deferred infrastructure maintenance projects.
At City Council’s Finance and Budget Committee hearing last week, council members voted for a 1.35-millage increase that would require a $70 million spending reduction – including cuts to the “rainy day fund” and human services.
Council has until December 6 to vote on the budget, and community members are encouraged to make their voices heard at Council chambers on December 3. But, before then, we need your help! Visit the Forbes Funds’ advocacy page to find your County Councilors and urge them to support the 2.2 millage tax increase proposed by County Executive Innamorato, which is necessary to save our county services.
Pittsburgh’s Community Housing debate…
Public debate at a Pittsburgh City Council hearing on community housing drew dozens of concerned residents. Mayor Ed Gainey has proposed zoning legislation that would allow for community housing, including homeless shelters and halfway houses, to receive streamlined approval for facilities housing less than 10 people. According to the Gainey Administration, if enacted, the city would be in compliance with federal Fair Housing Act policies.
Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith has proposed her own legislation that would allow for greater council oversight in the zoning process. Additionally, legislation around interim housing for homeless residents, commonly referred to as “tiny homes”, was recently reintroduced by Council members Deb Gross and Anthony Coghill as a stand-alone bill, separate from the contentious, broader zoning package introduced by Mayor Gainey and Councilor Kail-Smith.