Pennsylvania Congress men and women had various responses to President Bush's new budget.

A quick summary:

- Senator Arlen Specter believes the budget needs to be "modified... because it cuts funding for health and education." Governor Ed Rendell agreed, also adding cuts to the PA National Guard. Two Republican Congressmen expressed specific concerns on the budget: Charlie Dent (worried about cuts to a "community service block program") and Curt Weldon (firefighting grants), while Democratic Congressman Robert Brady joined GOP's Mike Doyle in believing Pres. Bush was "cutting vital programs for hard-pressed Americans."

- Congressmen Bill Shuster and Joe Pitts, both Republicans, have defended the cuts, saying they are "pro-growth" and will "help reduce the federal deficit."

- Senator Rick Santorum's press secretary released a very modest statement, believing the budget needs to be slashed, but that the junior Senator will "fight for funding for Pennsylvania."

Pennsylvania-concerned budget initiatives include:

- Funding for the Mine Safety and Health Administration increases from $277 million to $288 million;

- Cuts $312 million from the Office of Surface Mining program to reclaim abandoned mines;

- Amtrak gets $900 million - down from the $1.3 billion Congress gave it in 2006;

- It provides $600 million in research aid to improve the environmental performance of coal-fired power plants;

- It cuts the Administration for Children and Families budget by about $1.4 billion to $12.3 billion, primarily through the elimination of block grants intended to reduce poverty.