Highlights of Senate Appropriations Committee Supplemental Mark
Senator Robert C. Byrd, (D-W.Va.) today released the following summary of provisions what will be included in the FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental legislation that is scheduled to be considered by the full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, May 8, 2008. Byrd noted that “while the President is seeking to rebuild Baghdad, he is showing callous disregard to help rebuild on American soil or to aid struggling Americans. And the product that will be before the Committee tomorrow will seek to begin to address our needs here at home.”
Emergency Unemployment Insurance
This provision extends unemployment benefits by 13 weeks for all workers nationwide and provides an additional 13 weeks for workers in high-unemployment states. This extension is critically needed and mirrors actions taken in recent recessions. More than one-third of UI recipients exhaust their benefits before finding a job. And more than 2.5 million people ran out of benefits in 2007 alone and even more will follow in 2008 unless action is taken.
By extending UI benefits now, Congress can provide an immediate boost for the economy, and at the same time, help working families weather the storm. Economists agree that extending unemployment benefits is a powerful, cost-effective way to stimulate the economy—every dollar spent on benefits leads to $1.64 in economic growth.
Medicaid
This provision imposes delays on seven Medicaid rules issued by the Administration. The seven rules would force cuts in school-based, rehabilitation, and case management services. Among other things, the rules would also change the definition of public provider, the definition of outpatient services, and the policy on intergovernmental transfers, the ability of states to impose taxes on health care providers, and eliminate payment for graduate medical education.
These regulations will shift millions of dollars in health care costs to state and local budgets at a time when they are already under financial pressure due to the bad economy. The National Governors’ Association has asked Congress to extend these moratoria.
Comments
There are no comments yet for this entry. Why don't you make one?