On October 19, the House approved, by voice vote, a bill (H.R. 3971) that would temporarily extend health programs authorized under the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193). The Senate approved the measure, by unanimous consent, later the same day. It will now go to the White House to be signed into law by President Bush.
The House and Senate considered conflicting versions of H.R. 3971 the first week in October; this measure represents a compromise between the two bodies. Under the bill, the Transitional Medicaid Assistance and abstinence education programs would be authorized through December 31, 2005. The measure also would provide $500 million for Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi to help pay unemployment benefits for their residents. Funding would be offset by a provision prohibiting Medicare and Medicaid coverage of erectile dysfunction medications.
Pointing out that another hurricane could hit the United States this weekend, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) stated, “Tens of thousands of Americans are without housing, health coverage, protection of children, and without unemployment benefits or their employment. Tens of thousands are filing for unemployment benefits; benefits are running out for thousands more. The magnitude of the disaster is unmistakable, and the Republican response has been unconscionable. This is a continuing disaster. The storm was weeks ago, but this continues. In the time of domestic crisis, the Republican survival kit has been to give people in the Gulf a teaspoon to empty the ocean out of their lives, and here we are 13 days later doing what we did 2 weeks ago. It is unlucky 13, because the Republicans have redefined the Federal response to a natural disaster to include a legislative disaster, this bill.”
In response, Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA) stated, “This bill before us today is one that I can assure the Members of this House and the gentleman from Washington that my state very badly wants right now; it is very badly needed. They are in fact spending money from their unemployment trust fund at a very fast clip, and their part of this $500 million will give them a badly needed infusion of cash to stop the bleeding in their own unemployment trust fund. So although the gentleman from Washington may be right in saying that this is not enough to cover everything that the state will lose as a result of this disaster, nonetheless, it is a very, very important infusion of cash right now to my state and to Mississippi and to Alabama to help them in this very bad time shortly after the storm when unemployment is reaching its peak.”
