Budget Cut - Medicade and student loans

[Dhampir Kampf]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11133732/

WASHINGTON - The House on Wednesday narrowly approved Congress’ first attempt in eight years to slow the growth of benefit programs like Medicaid and student loan subsidies, sending the measure to President Bush.

The bill passed by a vote of 216-214, largely along party lines. Republicans hailed the five-year, $39 billion budget-cutting bill as an important first step to restoring discipline on spending. Democrats attacked the measure as an assault on college students and Medicaid patients and said powerful Washington lobbyists had too much influence on it. The measure is a leftover item from the GOP fall agenda. Bush is eager to sign it into law.

The $39 billion in cuts are generally small — a 0.4 percent cut in Medicaid funding and 0.3 percent cut in Medicare over five years — compared with deficits expected to total $1.3 trillion or more through 2010. Still, the bill set off a brawl between Democrats and Republicans and whipped up opposition from interest groups like AARP.




Bush is definately PRO-education, is he not?

[Erika]

1. About one-third of the workplace where I work

will be retiring (medicare eligible) within the next 18 months. That translates to about 55 employees. We've got to be pretty typical.

In addition, the roles of uninsured children are increasing daily.

The costs of tuition, even in public universities, are sky rocketing.

These cuts are insane.

[mom cat]

2. But, but, they NEED the money for the tax cuts to the filthy rich!

:puke:

[bluethruandthru]

3. Heard some repuke congressman blame the budget cuts on Katrina.

He said the people demanded that we pay for Katrina..so something had to be cut! He said 'we gave the people what they wanted'...And he said it with that irritating puke sneer in his voice.