Gov. Josh Shapiro said that while both parties are “working aggressively” to solve Pennsylvania’s growing budget crisis, it is time for leaders to make some tough choices.

Speaking to reporters at Kulp Dairy Farm in Martinsburg on Thursday, Shapiro said that finding common ground “is really hard in this business.”

“I will tell you that we are at the table,” he said. “We’re working aggressively. My job is to bridge the differences between the House and the Senate. They’ve got different views of the world, different priorities, and my job is to find those areas where we can find some agreement.”

The governor said that he never expected his $51.6 billion budget proposal that he delivered in February to be the one he signs upon agreement by all involved.

“Compromise is not a bad thing,” said Shapiro. “We are now at a point, though, where each of the leaders, Senate Republican leaders, House Democratic leaders, they’ve got to make some tough choices.

“We are working to bridge those differences and I’m working to bring them closer and come up with a product that can pass in both the House and Senate and make its way to my desk.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) agrees with the governor that a budget solution needs to be found, but is concerned that the threat by SEPTA to cut services in the Philadelphia region has jumped to the forefront.

“This drama is unnecessary,” said Ward to WHTM-TV 27. “Seriously, you’re going to use children as pawns in this whole big draw to try to get exactly what you want done for SEPTA?

School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington says that more than 52,000 Philadelphia students use SEPTA to get to school. With drastic cuts on the way, many families are worried about how they’ll get to class on time.

“We do need to pass a budget, and this mass transit issue has taken over all of the energy in the room,” Ward continued. “It’s irritating because they’re still schools, and hospitals, and nursing homes. Everything still needs to be funded.”

Ward believes that there is a short-term solution that funds the items that both Republicans and Democrats agree upon, but leaves the more difficult issues such as mass transit for a later date.

“The money’s there, the money’s coming in, taxes are coming in every week into the treasury,” Ward asserted. “There’s no reason we can’t put that money out, and all they keep saying is ‘No, no temporary budget. No, no.’ Well, guys, okay, we have to do something.”

Democratic House Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) does not hide his contempt for the lack of progress from the state Senate.

“The Senate hasn’t even shown up,” he said. “I am hopeful, even in this dark hour, that the Senate’s going to show up and they’re going to heal their wounds and divisions within that body and within that caucus, and they are going to propose a budget that they can get 26 votes for and show us what they can pass.”

The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus makes its point clear. It has 23 votes ready to pass a budget that funds “stable, reliable public transit. The Senate must come back into session and do its part.”

The problem – Republicans currently have 27 votes.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong/Indiana/Jefferson/ Westmoreland) told WHTM that “we also need dialogue with House Democrat Majority. Sometimes I’m not sure I always get the same messages from the Governor’s Office and House Democratic leadership whenever we’re having this back and forth on what is doable.”

His chamber passed a $47.6 billion budget that would move funds from the mass transit trust fund for transportation. Democrats called it unserious.