State Reps. Ryan Bizzarro and Morgan Cephas have introduced the Protect Pennsylvanians Act; a proposed state law aimed at defending Pennsylvania residents from what they call unlawful actions by extremist federal officials.

The bill would empower the state to temporarily stop payments to the federal government and place liens on federal property if promised federal funds for Pennsylvania are pulled.

The measure comes in response to the sudden termination of the Pennsylvania Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program, which had $13 million in funding for 189 farms and 14 food banks.

“We can’t sit back and let this happen without a fight,” said Bizzarro, who represents parts of Erie County. “This act adds protections for working families being hurt by the DOGE disaster in D.C.”

Cephas said the bill will help safeguard Pennsylvania taxpayers from what she described as haphazard and unlawful federal actions, such as canceled contracts that disrupt health care and business investments.

The lawmakers also pointed to reports that DOGE canceled more than 650 veterans' contracts and is planning large workforce reductions, with concerns that AI may have played a role in those decisions.

Bizzarro chairs the House Democratic Policy Committee. Cephas leads the House Government Oversight Committee, the Philadelphia House Delegation, and co-chairs the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus.