Publius Pax: The pro-worker, pro-family path — How Republicans can strengthen Pennsylvania

The headlines read, “The market hits another high.”

Just another day in Donald Trump’s economy. Right?

Yet, even as the S&P, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq continue their trajectory up and to the right, a new understanding is taking root within the Republican Party: Market strength alone isn’t — and shouldn’t be — the sole metric of national well-being. 

For more and more GOP lawmakers — especially younger ones — what truly matters is that the economic reality on Main Street, in the homes and workplaces of everyday families, matches that growth in tandem. 

I spoke this week with Pennsylvania State Representative Joe Hogan (R-Langhorne) who hails from Levittown — the quintessential American suburban community — who is out in front of this issue… and bringing others with him.

“I go grocery shopping and I see the prices,” Hogan said. “I know how much it costs now to feed a family and it’s becoming unsustainable for a lot of folks and they’re making tough decisions right now.”

The heart of this approach lies in proactive, pro-family, and pro-worker legislation. Hogan, 37, emphasizes the need to grow Pennsylvania’s workforce and attract new residents, not through government overreach, but by making the commonwealth genuinely affordable and opportunity-rich.

“We have to figure out ways to encourage more workers to come to Pennsylvania,” he said. “You have to encourage more people to reenter the workforce in Pennsylvania. You have to find ways to make it easier and more affordable to have a growing family in Pennsylvania.”

And that focus can’t be ignored. Pennsylvania’s aging population (a median age of 40.9 years old) puts us at a demographic disadvantage, and the total fertility rate (1.55 in 2023) is below both the national average (1.63) and well short of the replacement rate (2.1). For a state in Pennsylvania’s financial situation, this is a problem that demands a plan — a legislative realignment that makes it easier to create jobs, earn family-sustaining wages, and start and grow young families.

Part of that is leveraging the burgeoning potential for high earning blue-collar jobs in the energy sector and higher earning tech jobs in the AI data-center sector (which the president, alongside Senator Dave McCormick, touted in a Pittsburgh event last week). The other piece of the puzzle is incentivizing families to invest in themselves by keeping more of their hard-earned money. 

Hogan, a new father himself, is championing proposals like exempting first-time homebuyers from the transfer tax and creating tax-deferred accounts for down payments, as well as eliminating sales tax or providing write-offs on the necessities of life with kids — ranging from car seats and crib mattresses to youth sports and more.

“We should be making it more affordable for families to acquire those things and be able to not just survive but thrive in this economy,” the representative said.

Hogan’s proposals are being embraced by younger, family- and worker-conscious Republicans in his caucus and demonstrate real interest in realigning legislative priorities to address the current issues facing middle-class workers and families. While these aren’t silver bullet solutions, they are certainly more on target than the shortsighted (and wholly unaffordable) policies pushed by Harrisburg Democrats. While Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration may propose one-time cash payments or temporary fixes in their budget suggestions, these often fail to address the underlying structural issues that make life unaffordable in the first place. A single check might offer fleeting relief, but it does little to alleviate the ongoing burden of skyrocketing prices, stagnant wages, or the rising cost of essential goods. 

“Just throwing money at the problem is not the answer,” said Hogan. “I don’t think that’s a sustainable path.” Real change requires far more “thorough, thought-out conversations to actually address this, not just scoring quick political points to like a certain constituency or a certain demographic.”

Hogan and State House Republicans’ proposals are practical steps to ease the financial strain on parents who want to provide their children with active, enriching experiences, understanding that a thriving family life encompasses more than just economic survival. By focusing on tangible affordability, robust job growth, and direct support for family well-being, they are demonstrating a pragmatic conservatism that directly addresses the challenges faced by working Americans. 

Pennsylvania is proving to be a compelling example of how a renewed focus on these enduring principles, implemented with fresh strategies, can deliver real results for American families — in Bucks County and beyond.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that Representative Joe Hogan originally hails from Levittown and represents a district based in neighboring Langhorne.

Publius Pax is a tenth-generation Bucks Countian, political consultant, and author.