WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today applauded the Senate passage of a bill to provide $16.1 billion in increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding to help prevent state budget cuts and $10 billion in education funding to prevent teacher layoffs.
“The aid to the states and education jobs funding will provide significant new resources to Pennsylvania,” said Senator Casey. “While this bill will help fill a hole in the Pennsylvania budget and prevent teacher layoffs, the total funding was delayed and reduced because of Republican politicians in Washington who stood in the way despite bipartisan support around the country. I am pleased that the House will come back into session next week in order to send the bill to President Obama for signature.”
Senator Casey has been a strong proponent of extending FMAP aid to the states. He had voted for and preferred the larger FMAP package before it was trimmed in order to gain the votes necessary to pass any sort of relief for the states. Providing this aid to states like Pennsylvania has received majority support in the Senate, however it has not received the 60 votes required to prevent efforts by Senate Republicans to block the relief.
Last week, Senator Casey wrote Senate leaders to again urge them to move to pass increased FMAP funding for states to avoid state budget cuts and layoffs.
Senator Casey was a supporter and cosponsor of legislation introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) that would have provided $23 billion to protect jobs for teachers and prevent cuts that could harm children’s education. The $10 billion included in the measure passed today was the same figure that passed the House in a previous bill.
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