Michaud Slams Congressional Leaders; Opposes Using Jobless Workers as Pawns to Pass Unrelated, Non-emergency Items
Senate goes on Memorial Day recess, leaves no room to pass a final package
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Mike Michaud voted against adjournment in the House and took strong issue with H.R. 4213, a $114.5 billion bill that House leaders introduced that would tie help for the jobless with other unrelated, non-emergency items such as aid for catfish and poultry farmers, cottonseed farmer assistance, funding for a sugar cane cooperative in Hawaii, and an extension of the $5,000 first-time homebuyer credit for the District of Colombia, while the credit has expired for every other state.
"I am sick and tired of congressional leaders packaging unrelated items to must-pass measures like unemployment insurance extensions. Using the plight of the jobless as a way to lard up bills for pet issues represents the worst of the political process and is the height of irresponsibility," said Michaud.
At the last minute House Leadership removed a provision that would have extended for six months the increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) made available to states in the Recovery Act, scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010. The extension would provide states with $24 billion in funding through June 30, 2011. Maine would see about $80-85 million for its Medicaid program from the 6 month extension. Maine is one of twenty-four states relying on this increased funding in its Fiscal Year 2011 state budget.
No further changes to this legislation can be made by either the House or the Senate until early June. The House adjourned today for a week-long recess, and the Senate announced yesterday it would not take any additional votes until June 7.
"Even though they knew unemployment benefits would lapse due to the difference between the House and the Senate bills, House Leadership brought a dead-on-arrival bill to the House floor and sent Congress home for the recess. And with the Senate gone, those of us who care about uninterrupted unemployment insurance for our constituents have no options to work out a way to protect their benefits. The same thing happened in March, and now history is repeating itself. I am beyond frustrated with Washington. I voted against adjourning because Congress should stay in session to get this done right."
The rule for consideration allowed the bill to come to the floor in two parts. The first part, which Michaud opposed, consisted of the catch all measure. The second part, which Michaud supported, was a clean up or down vote preventing a 21% cut to Medicare reimbursements for health care providers. Stopping this cut will ensure that Maine’s Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access to the doctors of their choice and the same high quality care that they have today.
"People in Maine who lost their job through no fault of their own deserve a clean up or down vote just like our health care providers and Medicare beneficiaries," said Michaud.
