Demo Governors Praise Bipartisan Budget Work

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, April 26) -- Five Democratic governors Thursday applauded a bipartisan Senate group's plan for balancing the federal budget.

In a letter to Sens. John Breaux (D-La.) and John Chafee (R- R.I.), the Democratic governors called the Centrist Coalition's work "encouraging and practical."

The governors said the group's budget proposal "goes far toward achieving the principles outlined in the National Governors' Association's agreements on Medicaid and welfare."

The Medicaid component of the Centrist Coalition plan preserves a guarantee of coverage and ensures that dollars follow recipients, the governors said. The welfare reform portion of the proposal includes strong work requirements while protecting children, they noted.

The letter was signed by West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton, Nevada Gov. Bob Miller, Delaware Gov. Tom Carper, Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, and Colorado Gov. Roy Romer.

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