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Conference Report on H.Con.Res 95, Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2006

Date: April 28, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


CONFERENCE REPORT ON H. CON. RES. 95, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 -- (House of Representatives - April 28, 2005)

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Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to convey my disappointment with the decision of the conferees to ignore the clear and bipartisan wishes of the vast majority of the Members of this body to restore crucial Medicaid funding to this budget.

Tuesday night I offered a motion that passed overwhelmingly to instruct the conferees to restore cuts to Medicaid and include a $1.5 million reserve fund for the creation of a bipartisan Medicaid commission.

We know that Governors across the country are opposed to Medicaid cuts because these cuts will pass the burden directly on to States, to providers, and to the millions of Americans whose health care depends on Medicaid.

In a statement released this morning, the National Governors Association made clear its position has not changed. It states: "Medicaid reform must be driven by good policy and not the Federal budget process."

I want to be clear. No one is saying that we do not need to reform Medicaid. No one is saying we should not be trying to find savings or to make Medicaid more efficient. And, yes, let us find proposals to improve the program. But let us not let arbitrary budget cuts drive the reform. Let us not just cut the budget and call it reform. And let us not rashly and substantially decrease funding without adequate time to deliberate meaningful reform measures and without some time to implement those measures.

A majority of this body agrees, a majority of the Senate agrees, a majority of the Governors agree, and a majority of Americans agree. That is a pretty clear mandate. And for the conferees to ignore these clear majorities it is irresponsible.

I urge the 348 Members who voted in favor of the motion on Tuesday to vote against this conference report tonight.

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