The Senate moved toward approving an amendment that would provide New Hampshire with money to shore up the state's Medicaid program.
But the issue found the state's two senators at odds with the governor.
For NHPR News, Don Rush has this report:
NEW HAMPSHIRE?S POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT
FOUND ITSELF AT ODDS?AS ASENATE MEASURE?TO
PROVIDE NEARLY 9 BILLION DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL
FUNDS FOR MEDICAID AND OTHER SOCIAL SPENDING.
THE AMENDMENT TO THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG
LEGISLATION?WOULD INCREASE THE FEDERAL
SHARE OF MEDICAID MATCHING FUNDS FOR STATE
MEDICAID PROGRAMS OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND
A HALF.
NEW HAMPSHIRE WOULD PICK UP?NEARLY
29 MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSISTANCE.
GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN NOTED THAT NEW
HAMSPHIRE?S MEDICAID CASELOAD WAS UP 10
PERCENT OVER LAST YEAR.
AND SHE?URGED THE STATE?S REPUBLICAN
SENATORS?TO SUPPORT THE MEASURE.
BUT?SENATOR JUDD GREGG BLASTED THE
THE MEASURE?DOWNPLAYING ITS SIGNIFICANCE
FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE:
(SOUND: ?State?s like mine don?t benefit a whole lot from this proposal, but for states which have been less ?
may be ? effective in their ability to deal with Medicaid this bill basically is a 9 billion dollar bailout.?)
BUT?GREGG GOT OPPOSITION FROM
NEIGHBORING NEW ENGLAND STATES.
SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS OF MAINE
COUNTERED THE MEASURE IS NOT A BAILOUT
OF THE STATES:
(SOUND: ?This proposal offers real relief to our state governments who are struggling with revenue shortfalls. But most important it offers the promise that, low-income families who depend on Medicaid will not face a cut off of some of their important benefits?.)
BUT?GREGG SAID?HE WAS ALSO CONCERNED
THAT THE EXTRA SPENDING?WOULD INCREASE THE
AMOUNT OF GOVERNMENT RED INK.
(SOUND: ?But I have to ask the question. Why aren?t we offsetting this 9 billion dollars. Why are we just coming out onto the floor and saying let?s take another 9 billion dollar hit on the federal treasury which we don?t happen to have any money in right now and add that to the deficit. It makes very little sense from the stand point of fiscal policy.?)
SENATOR GREGG AND BOB SMITH VOTED
AGAINST ALLOWING SPENDING IN THE BILL?THAT
GOES BEYOND THE CURRENT BUDGET LIMITS.
THE AMENDMENT OVERCAME THE BUDGET
LIMITATION VOTE?BY A MARGIN OF 75 TO 24.
FOR NHPR NEWS
THIS IS DON RUSH
IN WASHINGTON
