Senator White Votes to Restore Funding for Key Government Services

Effort to override governor’s vetoes of college aid, veterans’ outreach falls short.

Harrisburg -- Seeking to keep key government services operating while budget negotiations continue, Senator Don White (R-41) voted today to override a number of Governor Rendell’s vetoes of funding provisions included in the Senate-passed budget plan.

Despite unanimous Republican support, the veto overrides failed when Senate Democrats refused to vote for the measures – which require a two-thirds majority. Had they succeeded in both the Senate and House, funding would have begun flowing to programs the Governor cut.

White said the Governor is manufacturing a budget crisis by holding a number of programs and services hostage, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program, college tuition aid, county child care, veterans’ outreach services, and domestic violence and rape crisis programs.

"The budget passed by the Senate, Senate Bill 850, was based on the stark reality of a national recession. It rejected the call from the Governor to hike the income taxes paid by Pennsylvanians, without cutting one cent from an array of other important programs," White said. "It was a responsible, good-faith plan that supported our children’s needs, and the Governor responded with more gamesmanship. He’s cutting important services to manufacture a crisis."

Senate Republicans strongly support CHIP and have since its inception 16 years ago. CHIP benefits include immunizations, prescription medicine, emergency care, inpatient care, mental health services, as well as hearing, vision and dental. The Governor vetoed the entire $86.9 million included in Senate Bill 850 for CHIP.

"The Governor was justifiably criticized for months for using state workers as leverage in the budget debate before finally signing Senate Bill 850 to pay those workers, but he vetoed funding to pay for health insurance for children. He simply swapped hostages -- state workers for children. He picked the wrong approach, and the wrong programs," said White.

Among the line items which the Governor vetoed despite the fact Senate Bill 850 funded them at exactly the amount he recommended:

Homeless Assistance, $25.6 million
Domestic Violence, $12.5 million
Rape Crisis, $7.1 million
Veterans' Educational Assistance, $7.0 million
Veterans' Outreach Services, $1.7 million
Veterans' Assistance, $428,000
Disabled Veterans’ Transportation, $350,000

Override votes were also sought on several additional line items under which the lack of state funding is having an immediate and dramatic negative impact on Pennsylvania residents, including:

PHEAA Grants to Students, $386.2 million
Community Mental Retardation Programs, $158.4 million

Contact:

Joe Pittman
(717) 787-8724
(724) 357-0151