Crisis temporarily averted, stimulus restores money to states

By: Scott Detrow

The final version of the federal stimulus restores much of the funding the Senate had cut out, according to Governor Rendell. Scott Detrow reports from Harrisburg.

By: Scott Detrow

The final version of the federal stimulus restores much of the funding the Senate had cut out, according to Governor Rendell. Scott Detrow reports from Harrisburg.

[audio: reports20090213stimcrisis.mp3]

Transcript:

Earlier this week, Rendell sounded the alarm at a press conference-he said if portions of the stimulus weren’t restored, thousands of state employees would be laid off, and 500 million dollars of additional cuts would need to be made. But as the measure moved toward a final vote, Rendell held a conference call to say the money is back.

Rendell: “It’s almost a wash. Not quite, but it’s almost a wash.  So there won’t have to be $500 million of additional cuts. If at all, less than $100 million, depending on how the F-MAP formula comes out.”

Rendell says the bill will create between 100,000 and 120,000 Pennsylvania jobs, mostly in construction. He says Senator Arlen Specter deserves a lot of credit for making it a reality, as the measure is expected to pass through Democratically controlled Congress as early as today.