Today, Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) and Senate Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) released the following statement regarding the ‘death spiral’ of the insolvent local public employee health benefits program being the latest symptom of one-party Democrat rule in Trenton.

“The death spiral of the insolvent local public employee health benefits program is just the latest symptom of one-party Democrat rule in Trenton,” said Sens. Bucco and O’Scanlon. “When Democrats shut out Republican voices, they aren’t just ignoring us, they’re ignoring the more than 3.5 million New Jerseyans that we represent who rely on the essential services our state is supposed to deliver.

“From healthcare and transportation to education funding, energy costs, and state-mandated housing policies, the consequences of unchecked power are clear. Even well-intentioned decisions made in an echo chamber—with no malicious intent—can lead to failure when everyone around the table is a rubber stamp. That’s not how good government works.

“Opposition voices aren’t just there to disagree. They’re there to challenge, scrutinize, and ultimately improve public policy. Giving Republicans a seat at the table isn’t a political courtesy; it’s a benefit to all New Jerseyans because at this point, the wheels of our State government aren’t just coming off the bus, they’ve been shooting sparks off the chassis for the last two years.”

Below are just some of the examples that Republicans pointed out well in advance of the failures that have resulted under one-party Democrat rule in Trenton:

In January of 2023, Sen. Bucco warned that the extreme cost of Governor Phil Murphy's green energy plan could be devastating for a growing number of New Jerseyans after a new report showed more households are living paycheck to paycheck. Now, Democrats are scrambling to pass the blame for skyrocketing energy bills that their failed energy policies have caused.

In July of 2023, Sen. Bucco issued a statement slamming the lack of transparency, costly price tag, and poor fiscal management in the New Jersey Transit (NJT) deal for a new headquarters that ultimately played a part in the NJT fare increase in 2024 and the 2025 NJT strike.

In February 2024, Sen. O’Scanlon and fellow members of the Senate Republican Budget Committee called on Governor Murphy to embrace Republicans’ long-ignored constructive ideas that would help address the affordability crisis in New Jersey.

Again in February 2024, Sen. O’Scanlon slammed the Murphy State aid cuts for public schools, reminding the Governor that Republicans have said—for years—that the school funding formula was broken, and there was undoubtedly a plethora of leftover pork from the previous budget session that could have been better spent safeguarding teachers and students from unnecessary budget cuts.

In October 2024, Sen. Bucco called out the Democratic Majority and Governor Murphy for rushing legislation through that would allow money to be borrowed from the State employees' health benefit fund to put a Band-Aid on a broken and increasingly insolvent local public employee health benefits system when Republicans pushed for a long-term solution.

When the bill passed the full Senate, Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) first referred to the situation as a ‘death spiral’, where he said, “Republicans have been warning of the looming death spiral facing our public benefits system. It’s no longer looming. It’s hitting us here and now and should horrify and scare every public worker and every taxpayer in the state of New Jersey.”

We hate to say we told you so…but we told you so!!!