Senate Medicaid Vote Protects Health Safety Net for

Vote Temporarily Stops Bush Administration from Shifting

The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about today's Senate vote on the Smith-Bingaman amendment to the Senate fiscal year 2006 budget resolution, which struck all proposed Medicaid cuts:

"Today's vote is a huge victory for the elderly and children who count on Medicaid as their health care safety net. The defeated Medicaid cut would have shifted unaffordable health costs to the states which, in turn, would jeopardize health care for seniors in nursing homes and children needing basic care.

"This victory is only temporary, however. Since the House of Representatives is poised to adopt Medicaid budget cuts that are larger than those the Bush Administration proposed, today's vote is not the final word on the Medicaid budget.

"The health care of seniors and children remains in jeopardy. It is crucial that the final budget resolution negotiated by Senate and House conferees contain no cuts in the Medicaid program."

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org