PI Action alerts & updates ... 2003

House of Representatives Vote to Slash Medicaid Funding

Your action is needed Immediately!!

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to cut $92 billion from Medicaid spending over the next ten years as part of its 2004 budget resolution. This reduction would have a disastrous effect on a program already facing significant financial challenges. Fortunately, the Senate’s version of the budget resolution doesn’t include any Medicaid cuts. In fact, the Senate has a “Sense of the Senate” resolution that says, as money becomes available, no less than $30 billion should be given to the sates, with at least half of the money going towards a temporary increase in Medicaid funding.

A joint House/Senate conference committee will meet very soon to work out differences between the two versions. Decisions could be made as soon as later this week. A sign-on letter is circulating from Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Baucus (D-MT), the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, urging leaders in negotiations to reject any cuts to Medicaid in the final bill.

Your help is needed in this effort! Please take a few minutes to call your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators right now!!

How you can help:
Please call your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators in their Washington, DC offices immediately. Final decisions on the budget resolution are expected soon. Ask your Senators to sign the Grassley/Baucus letter opposing Medicaid cuts and ask your Representative to convey his/her opposition to Medicaid cuts to members of the House/Senate budget conference committee. You can use the following sample phone call language to help craft your message:

Calls to Representatives:
“I am opposed to cuts in Medicaid funding proposed by the House in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget resolution. I urge Representative _________ to convey his/her opposition to Medicaid cuts to members of the House/Senate budget conference committee.”

Calls to Senators:
“I am opposed to cuts in Medicaid funding proposed by the House in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget resolution. I urge Senator ___________ to sign the ‘Dear Colleague’ written by Senators Grassley and Baucus that oppose any cuts to Medicaid in this resolution. I also urge Senator _________ to convey his/her opposition to Medicaid cuts to members of the House/Senate budget conference committee.”

Contact information:
You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators/Representative.

Join the Medicaid Defense Group, an ad-hoc coalition of HIV/AIDS advocates fighting to preserve, improve, and expand Medicaid! To join, email Lei Chou: theaccessproject@aol.com.