State Democratic legislators say they will join the fight against GOP leaders who are trying to block the state from receiving $18 million to $27 million in additional federal funds for women's health services.

Republican leaders filed suit in Harrisburg last week to block Gov. Ed Rendell from obtaining additional money for women's health services because some agencies that would receive the money also provide abortions.

The issue goes back to July, when Mr. Rendell used his line-item veto to strike GOP language from the budget that would have prevented the state from obtaining additional Medicaid funds.

State Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer and House Speaker John Perzel filed suit in Commonwealth Court last week. They want the court to rule that it is illegal for Mr. Rendell to veto the budget language without also vetoing use of the money related to the vetoed item.

Republican leaders routinely had inserted budget language to prevent federal funds for women's health services from being distributed to agencies that also provide abortions and were angry when Mr. Rendell struck that language from the final budget. This would be the first time Pennsylvania seeks the additional Medicaid funds.

State Rep. Dan Frankel on Monday told a news conference that Democrats in the Legislature will file a friend-of-the-court brief to support the governor. The news conference was held at the East Liberty office of Family Health Council Inc., which has 23 sites across the state and would receive a substantial portion of additional federal funds.

Mr. Frankel said it is "preposterous" and short-sighted for Republicans to block additional money when more family planning services could reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and women seeking abortions.

A total of 21 other states already use state funds to leverage Medicaid money and the return is $9 in federal money for every $1 in state funds. Since Pennsylvania spends $2 million to $3 million annually, that means it could get an additional $18 million to $27 million.

"This is an outrage," Mr. Frankel said. "This [issue] has been under the radar, but we need to make more people aware of what is going on."

Richard L. Baird Jr., president and chief executive officer of Family Health Council, said the additional federal money would help provide services such as gynecological exams, PAP smears and breast exams for 220,000 uninsured women in Pennsylvania. His facilities could be open longer hours to handle more women who need services, Mr. Baird said.

Stephen Miskin, spokesman for House Majority Leader Sam Smith, R-Punxsutawney, noted that Mr. Frankel voted in favor of the budget and accused him of "grandstanding" by coming out now in favor of more services for women. He also said the lawsuit was more about the governor's powers than the use of the money.

"When a governor strips out conditions on appropriations, he is really undermining the constitutional safeguard to the power of the purse," Mr. Miskin said. "A governor has the right to veto monetary amounts, but not language. He is undermining the separation of powers."

Mr. Frankel said he doesn't know yet how many Democratic members of the Legislature will participate in challenging the GOP lawsuit.