Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Children’s Health Fund co-founder and singer/songwriter Paul Simon take part in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, to raise awareness of the children who will benefit from President Obama’s proposed health care plan.
No sooner than the Senate Finance Committee’s chairman released his long-awaited health care bill today than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it’s not good enough for Nevada.
Reid is concerned about the cash-poor state’s inability to boost Medicaid spending as would be required under the bill.
“While this draft bill is a good starting point, it needs improvement before it will work for Nevada,” Reid said in a statement. “During this time of economic crisis, our state cannot afford to shoulder the second highest increase in Medicaid funding.”
Reid said he received assurance from the chairman, Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, that the formula would be changed before the bill goes to committee next week.
“I spoke to the Chair of the Finance Committee and he assured me that this bill will be improved for Nevada,” Reid said.
“Let me be very clear, I will not bring a health insurance reform bill to the Senate floor that is not good for Nevada.”
One way the legislation plans to cover more uninsured is to make Medicaid available to more people. Right now Medicaid in Nevada covers limited low-income groups — primarily pregnant women, children and seniors. The bill would expand care to include childless adults. But that would require a 5 percent increase in funding from the state.
Reid’s concerns come after a back-and-forth he and Nevada’s governor engaged in Tuesday via letters exchanged on the issue.
The majority leader’s objection show just how difficult the task before Congress in trying to meet the needs of all lawmakers who have problems with the legislation.
comments
I am glad to see that Sen Reid is not simply jumping on board but he needs to go much further. The country and Nevada need health reform that reduces cost. I read part of Sen. Baucus’s plan and I guess it conforms with the deficit nuetral promise of the President. However the plan clearly mentions that about $350 billion will be made in new taxes and $500 billion will come from nonspecific government cuts. I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen any proof from the house, the senate, or the president that they are even capable of making the cuts. Legislators and the President patted themselves on the back when they cut $100million out of a $1trillion bill.
Sen Reid says the plan isn’t good enough for Nevada. What about the rest of the country? There are many states in the same situation as that of Nevada.
Sen. Reid managed to get 7 billion to build a high speed train from Vegas to LA, maybe he should give that money back. Along with the 30,000 for the mobster museum.
Congress, government employees and union labor get to keep their Platinum, plans while the rest of us get the Deli version, take a number and wait. Along with dictates of who can have what. This bill must not be as good as they would have us believe. Also, once it passes, there is a provision whereby it cannot be repealed. That says to me it’s not a good plan.
Spending money and raising takes is all Congress knows how to do. They are extremely wasteful with our money.
Thirty years is congress is too long for one person to be in office, the proof is in their power base. Lot’s of arm twisting on those who would dare to disagree.
Seniors will be very hard hit with Medicare cuts,we pay a hundred a month plus to have health care. We will not get our five dollar raise, but they will be taking more from our monthly allotment.
If the President and Congress really cared about health care, they would scrap the plan they have and start over. In Plain Language.
Congress needs to stop taking from the average citizens and giving to their friends.