Gov. Ed Rendell is at odds with a pair of Republican senators over the use of federal Medicaid funds for family planning programs for low-income women.
In a move that caught Republican Sens. Jeffrey Piccola of Harrisburg and Jane Orie of McCandless by surprise, Rendell removed from the 2005-06 state budget restrictions on federally funded health, birth control and family planning services that the anti-abortion Republicans had inserted.
Orie and Piccola, frequent critics of Rendell, are concerned because Rendell wants the state Department of Public Welfare to seek federal Medicaid funds for low-income women's health, family planning and birth control services.
The Republicans want to make sure that the federal funds aren't used for abortion-related programs and want the funds subjected to the same restrictions that have been in place since 1996 on state-funded family planning programs.
Possible actions include a vote to override the veto this fall when the Legislature returns or separate legislation again putting the restrictions on the use of Medicaid money for family planning services.
Family planning agencies, such as Planned Parenthood and the Pittsburgh-based Family Health Council, praised Rendell's veto, saying federal Medicaid funds would make health care and birth control services available to hundreds more low-income, uninsured women.
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