State Leaders Call For Fast Passage on Stimulus

Now that the Senate has passed a stimulus package, Pennsylvania politicians are urging Congress to put together the final bill as quickly as possible. In a statement, Pennsylvania Republican Party Chair Robert Gleason calls the federal stimulus "a spending bill filled with pork," but Governor Rendell rejects that mindset. He says infrastructure repairs funded by the stimulus will put commonwealth residents to work. He says bears and robots don’t build roads and bridges, people do. Municipal officials are also urging Congress to act quickly. Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, the president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, says the legislation will give cities, townships and Burroughs an economic jump-start. Both Callahan and Rendell say they're hoping the conference committee restores the billions of dollars in state aid the Senate eliminated. Rendell says if that money isn't returned to the stimulus, he'll have to lay off more state workers.