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Relating to Consideration of S. 1932, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005

Date: Feb. 1, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


RELATING TO CONSIDERATION OF S. 1932, DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - February 01, 2006)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it seems the House has voted on this legislation countless times, and people may be wondering what has changed about this conference report since the House passed this bill at 6:00 in the morning late last year.

This is it. Here is what has changed. This is a Washington Post article: Closed door deal makes $22 billion difference. The Washington Post reported last week the Republican leadership met with lobbyists behind closed doors to restore a $22 billion slush fund for HMOs, a slush fund that the Senate had the decency to drop from this legislation. As one health care lobbyist said, ``$22 billion is a lot of money.''

But instead of foregoing this latest example of corporate welfare, Republicans have instead put these cuts on the backs of those who cannot afford lobbyists. These include poor children and working families who will face new costs and higher premiums, reducing care for 1.6 million Americans and kicking over 65,000 Americans, mostly whom have kids, off of Medicaid. Others who will be off of Medicaid are working but do not receive health care through their employer. This, less than 24 hours after the President's call to expand health care in his State of the Union address.

$22 billion is a lot of money, enough to restore the $12.7 billion in student loan assistance cut from this legislation, the $1.5 billion of cuts to child and foster care support, and the $7 billion of cuts in health care for families.

Some may look at this brazen example of cronyism at its worst, at all the indictments and plea bargains we have seen, and say, well, that is just the way Washington works. That is how Washington operates today under Republican leadership and a Republican administration.

But that is not the way that it ought to work. Regardless of which party is in power, the people's business ought never to be made and done behind closed doors, much less critical budget decisions that can mean life and death for some families.

The American people deserve better from this body. It is time we gave them a reason to expect better.

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