Press Room
On The Issues
Photo Gallery
Committees
Just For Kids!
Floor Statements

Contact Stephanie
Flag Requests
Visit DC
Casework
Internships

Sponsored 109th
Co-Sponsored 109th
Sponsored 108th
Co-Sponsored 108th

About Stephanie
About South Dakota
House of Representatives
Thomas
Blue Dog Coalition
Veterans History Project

Budget Conferees
April 28, 2005

I thank the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker I rise today to convey my disappointment with the decision of the conferees to ignore the clear and bipartisan wishes 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 that no one is saying that we don’t need to reform Medicaid, or to find savings, or to make Medicaid more efficient. I’m willing to work with anybody in a good faith effort to reform the program. And I appreciate the willingness of my colleague from Iowa to reform Medicaid, to create efficiencies, and find cost savings. But you don’t just cut the budget and call it reform. During this debate, I have not heard one specific proposal from the gentleman from Iowa to strengthen Medicaid. The fact is, there is nothing in this budget to improve Medicaid. I think we can do better.

Yes, let’s find proposals to improve the program, but let’s not let arbitrary budget cuts drive the reform. And let’s 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’s a pretty clear mandate. And for the conferees to ignore these clear majorities is irresponsible.

I urge the 348 members who voted in favor of protecting Medicaid on Tuesday to protect Medicaid today—by voting against this conference report which disregards the instructions we passed on Tuesday night.