FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2009
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Senator Pileggi Responds to Governor’s Budget Veto Threat

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi issued the following statement after Governor Rendell threatened to veto a bipartisan, bicameral budget agreement announced earlier today by legislative leaders:

"For weeks, the governor has held near-daily press conferences criticizing the General Assembly for not acting on a budget. He has not been personally engaged in the budget discussions for more than a month. Now that a bipartisan agreement has been reached, he is attempting to derail it, 73 days after the budget was due.

"In 2008-09, when the governor wanted to spend more money, his revenue estimates were wildly inaccurate and the result was a $3.2 billion revenue shortfall.

"This year, the governor wants to raise taxes, and his revenue estimates are again inaccurate, but in the opposite direction.

"We intend to honor the budget agreement that has been reached, and we fully expect the House to do the same so that this budget will be passed to the governor.

"I'm confident that after some reflection, the governor will realize that Pennsylvanians have waited long enough for a budget, and he will be able to set aside his ideological differences and support this bipartisan, bicameral compromise." 

Contact:

Erik Arneson
(717) 787-4712