Jul. 13, 2015
HARRISBURG – If an agreement is not met, Gov. Tom Wolf’s full budget veto will withhold billions of dollars in undisputed state and federal funds from organizations that serve the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
Rep. David Millard (R-Berwick) said, “Gov. Wolf’s decision to veto the entire budget will withhold billions in funding for nonprofits, schools and social service providers, putting them at risk. This is a hard reality to face, but it is fact. Innocent people and organizations will be impacted.”
State law and case law dictates certain obligations will still be honored even if there is no spending authority granted by the General Assembly through a General Appropriations Act. Salaries for state employees, debt service payments and expenditures required for the health and safety of Commonwealth residents will still be paid during Wolf’s budget standoff.
The House Appropriations Committee completed an analysis of all state spending to determine what payments would be in jeopardy if Wolf’s budget standoff continued for an extended period of time.
“If Gov. Wolf’s budget standoff continues for much longer, we estimate nearly $13 billion will not be distributed to state agencies and state government service providers that deal with all types of services for kids, seniors and other in-need populations,” said Millard. “That was a choice the governor made, and an unnecessary one.”
As an alternative to a complete budget veto, the governor had the ability to exercise a line-item veto and “blue line” specific appropriations where there continues to be disagreement.
A comprehensive list of General Fund Appropriations that will either in whole or in part have funds withheld as a result of Wolf’s blanket veto are available at
www.RepMillard.com
Representative David Millard
109th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Morgan Wagner
(717) 260-6281
mwagner@pahousegop.com
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