Sen. Farnese Makes a Point at a News Conference Addressing the Negative Impact of the Republicans' Version of the Budget

Philadelphia, May 12, 2009 - Senator Farnese joined Democratic state senators from the Philadelphia region to discuss the potentially devastating impact of the Senate Republican budget on Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania at a news conference Tuesday at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Under the Republican budget plan, which was approved by the Senate in a party line vote a week earlier, there would be severe funding cuts to medical assistance, neo-natal care, trauma units, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) and other health care programs. The region would also suffer substantive cuts to education, economic development, tourism, and a host of other important programs and services.

Senator Farnese described the Republicans’ plan as an attempt “to balance the budget on the backs of the Commonwealth’s children and families who are struggling the most during these trying economic times.”

He also pointed out the more than $200 million cuts to the School District of Philadelphia, saying the Republicans “slashed and burned their way through programs that would have given our most precious resource – children - a head start down the road toward educational success.”

Senators Shirley Kitchen, Mike Stack, Tina Tartaglione, Vincent Hughes, Anthony Williams, and Daylin Leach also participated in the news conference.

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