“IF they really care for the retirees, they would make this bonus happen because they are the appropriating branch of government,” Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said on Thursday.
The House of Representatives has rejected the Senate amendment to the bill that would increase the retirees’ bonuses from $500 to $1,000 because it would grant the governor 100% reprogramming authority over the executive branch budget.
“The House was presented with the opportunity to give retirees a larger bonus in their session, but chose to reject the Senate’s amendment,” Torres said. “I am very disappointed with their decision to do that, especially because it has already been almost three months since the initial retiree bonus was supposed to come out.”
He added, “If you truly believe that this is political, please look at your own actions. You are holding back well-deserved bonuses for retirees who have worked hard for this Commonwealth because of your own political agenda and your own dislike for me as governor. We may have our differences [of opinion] on how to spend funds, but I make the decisions that I make based on what is in the best interest of the people of this Commonwealth.”
Torres thanked the senators for their immediate action on the proposed bonus.
“Further, I want to thank them for acknowledging the needs of the retirees in their decision to increase the bonus amount from $500 to $1,000. The Senate saw fit that I’d be given 100% reprogramming authority to ensure that the retiree bonuses would be fully funded and so that similar issues like this could be avoided in the future,” the governor said.
“Even after both my administration and the Senate offered viable solutions to address this issue, the House still did not agree. This is an important issue for all retirees. Therefore, if they do not like the suggestions we have made, I urge the House to offer their own solutions. Let’s just get our retirees their bonuses.
“The retirees know that I have always made them a priority and, moving forward, I always will,” the governor said.
