OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Consideration of H.R.4241, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005--Continued

Date: Nov. 17, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4241, DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005--Continued -- (House of Representatives - November 17, 2005)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Florida, not only for his leadership but also working so diligently with the Budget Committee, including the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), our great chairman.

Mr. Speaker, tonight is an opportunity for the Republican majority to meet the demands of this great Nation when we talk about the ability to have a plan that will help control spending, where we can move forward to make sure that we better the circumstance that this country is in.

Earlier this year, this Congress began engaging Governors from all across this great Nation about ways in which we could make Medicaid spending and Medicaid programs work more efficiently across this government. I participated with the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) in meetings with Mark Warner, who is a Democrat Governor from Virginia, and Tom Vilsack, who is a Governor from Iowa. We talked about ways that this Congress could go about giving the Governors more flexibility and the ability to manage those processes and programs that they have in place.

The Budget Committee, as a result of work that has been done by other committees, one-eighth of the bills which we bring tonight simply talk about ways that we can make sure that the spending that is done tonight is done more efficiently and more effectively, but done in a way that will create better services to the American public. What we find now, as we come to the floor to do the things that literally Governors all across this country have asked for, the flexibility to run their programs without just giving them waivers, but to let them run their own programs, we are told we are cutting services to poor people and how mean we are.

The truth could not be further from that which is said, Mr. Speaker. The fact of the matter is that we are going to put more money than ever in Medicaid that will allow States the opportunity to take care of their problems.

I am proud of this bill tonight. I support it, and I hope that the American people see it for what it is, a great opportunity to save money.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov

arrow_upward