Posted on 09/28/2005 11:23:18 AM PDT by frogjerk
WASHINGTON - With Gulf Coast governors pressing for action, Senate Finance Committee members complained Wednesday that the Bush administration is blocking a bipartisan $9 billion health care package for hundreds of thousands of evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ADVERTISEMENT
"We've got people with needs today," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. She was joined by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who testified via a teleconference hookup, in urging quick action on the legislation.
Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), R-Iowa, chairman of the committee, said four or five senators have been blocking action on the bill after the Bush administration raised objections to provisions that would extend Medicaid coverage to thousands upon thousands of adults who otherwise would be uninsured, including those whose applications have been rejected in Louisiana.
"We can work with everybody, including the administration, or against them, and I'm prepared to go either way," said Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss. "But I'm going to look after our people first."
Administration officials contend the Medicaid extensions are not needed because a newly created fund could be tapped whenever health care providers care for uninsured victims of Katrina between Aug. 24th and Jan. 31, 2006.
But the administration has not revealed how much money will be in the fund, and senators questioned both the funding commitment and whether the administration has the authority to establish such a fund.
Earlier Wednesday, Blanco asked the committee for help in rebuilding her devastated state, saying Hurricanes Katrina and Rita "knocked us down but they did not knock us out."
In her opening statement, Blanco did not mention former FEMA director Michael Brown, who on Tuesday had blamed state and local officials in Louisiana for not responding appropriately to the storm. She declined later to respond to Brown's accusations when given a specific opportunity by Sen. Kent Conrad (news, bio, voting record), D-N.D.
"We are looking forward, not backward, " she said.
Blanco said 40 percent of Louisiana's businesses were lost or damaged in the storm and said the state's most pressing need is jobs.
"That's what we need," she said. "That's exactly what we need in the face of this suffering and hardship — jobs."
Across the Capitol, a House panel was hearing pledges from government auditors that they will closely examine millions of dollars in contracts the Bush administration awarded to politically connected companies for Hurricane Katrina relief.
The inspectors general from half a dozen agencies, as well as officials from the Government Accountability Office, on Wednesday were addressing a House subcommittee on the Katrina cleanup and announcing several new audits to combat waste and fraud.
They are pledging strong oversight that includes a review of no-bid contracts and close scrutiny of federal employees who now enjoy a $250,000 — rather than a $2,500 — purchase limit for Katrina-related expenses on their government-issued credit cards.
"When so much money is available, it draws people of less than perfect character," H. Walker Feaster, inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission, said. "It underscores the need for internal controls of the money going out."
The joint appearance of government auditors comes amid a flurry of legislation pending in Congress that would create additional layers of oversight to the Katrina contracting and award process.
It also comes amid growing charges of favoritism that critics say led to government missteps in the wake of the Katrina disaster.
In a House hearing Tuesday, both Republicans and Democrats assailed Brown, who critics say lacked proper experience for the job, for his performance in handling emergency aid. Brown admitted making some mistakes but placed the brunt of the blame on the Louisiana governor, the New Orleans mayor and even the Bush White House that appointed him.
Blanco on Tuesday had vehemently denied that she waited until the eve of the storm to order an evacuation of New Orleans. She said her order came on the morning of Aug. 27 — two days before the storm — resulting in 1.3 million people evacuating the city.
"Such falsehoods and misleading statements, made under oath before Congress, are shocking," Blanco said in a statement Tuesday.
Rep. Christopher Shays (news, bio, voting record), R-Conn., said Wednesday that while Brown made mistakes, so did others. "He can't be the scapegoat. First responders are local and state, and the governor and mayor did a pathetic job of preparing their people for this horrific storm," Shays said on NBC's "Today" show.
Lawmakers were turning their attention to the lucrative Katrina contracts.
In the weeks after the Aug. 29 storm, more than 80 percent of the $1.5 billion in contracts awarded by FEMA for Katrina work were handed out with little or no competition or had open-ended or vague terms that previous audits have cited as being highly prone to abuse.
Yes. So?
Is that a fact, what entitlement program? Why did they implement an unemployment program then? In my house the check goes to food and housing first. All these displaced people had to have some form of income, even if it was a government check.
My hubby is on a DMAT and he has to pay for everything and submit it for reimbursement..no credit card for the docs! He is in Texas , they took over a super walmart!
Right. But isn't it first and foremost important to the people and businesses and government of Mississippi?
Everyone from Louisiana to Alabama is acting like the greediest bunch of rats I've ever seen. Before looking at and finding out what they can and can't do for themselves, they are hoping that everyone else will pay for 100% of what they need.
There are people in Florida who do not yet have their houses rebuilt, from their last big hurricane?
Like post 9/11 "federal compassion" for losses from terrorism, are we now going to use federal taxes on the impossible promise of making everyone 100% whole again, from every natural disaster.
If you took the cost of the entire Marshall plan forward to today, with inflation, you'd get an amount near $90 billion - to do the entire Marhall Plan that rebuilt western Europe - TODAY.
And the joint Repblican and Dim Louisiana congressional delegation has submitted a bill for $250 billion. An amount that is more than two and half times the size of the enire Marshall plan in today's dollars.
What we are dealing with here are NOT claims for national and federal compassion. What we are dealing with is greed that is trying to exploit national compasssion.
And it is joined by far too many in the GOP.
Is that a quote from, Al Gore?....
{{If so, it still isn't my problem.}}
Well some of those jobs lost are producing winter heating fuel, like my brother's job, or gasoline, or the plastics used in just about every aspect of life here in the US. Do you like soft cushions on your couch, or the nice computer you use or washing detergent? Oh and let's not forget the materials for your dashboards, tires and there are so many things you take for granted but you see those things are produced all along the Gulf coast.
Some of the job losses will be your problem in the winter time since I see that you are from Ohio. The problem is that in order to get the petrochemical industry up and running again there has to be at least some basic services provided to the workers. Right now there are basically none. I'm not even taking into consideration the overhyped idiots in NO. I'm talking about right here at home in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
This is just "backdoor Universal heath Care"
"What the American people have seen is this incredible disparity in which those people who had cars and money got out, and those people who were impoverished died."
-- Ted Kennedy on Hurricane Katrina
"Roger that!"
-- Mary Jo Kopechne
Wonder how many of these people in need are NO police officers on leave in Las Vegas?
Actually, very few people got the infamous $2000. It went only to people in Red Cross shelters in Texas.
My family evacuated to Mississippi, and we are not eligible for anything from the government. Fortunately, we all had insurance on our houses, like responsible adults. We also had savings, like responsible adults.
Nevertheless, we are screwed. We all have health insurance through our jobs. We all lost our jobs, because our employers' facilities are no longer functioning. Under COBRA we can keep our health insurance, but we have to pay the premiums in full. My license is not valid outside Louisiana, and no state offers reciprocity. So now I have a temporary part-time job paying 20% what I was earning a month ago.
All things considered, I'm one of the lucky evacuees. Still, lots of good, hard-working, responsible people are really suffering.
That's actually something a guy I know, who is a deacon and/or elder in the PCUSA, says to describe what's become of his church.
A mandatory evacuation of NOLA was called by Nagin on 8/28 maybe Blank-o called foe voluntary one on 8/27.
"$250,000 limits on Credit cards?!?!?!?"
What this means is federal procurement officers can spend up to $250,000 without filing paperwork to seek permission for such expenditures. The limit used to be $2500, but people complained this created endless red tape, and slowed the government down. They still have budgets, all this does is change the way they spend can the money.
In most cases I think the high limit is excessive, and invites fraud, but during a massive reconstruction project it would be almost impossible to operate under the $2500 limit. Responsibility people need the flexibility to "get it done" without having to clear expenses with bureaucrats in Washington every 5 minutes.
This would take forever. Unfortunately, I haven't seen much responsibility associated with this effort as of yet. They definitely need a CFO to make sure the money is being spent wisely, on efficient projects that will get the region back to where it needs to be.
I meant the evacuees are in other states getting health care and whatever else they qualify for.
All that proves is that the government can't manage money.
You are so right.
Confused? So am I. I honestly don't think money is the solution. And what about the leased cruise ship. Is anyone living on it?
Supposedly, though, these people did not have health care insurance before the hurricane. Now that there has been a hurricane, Sugar Daddy's got to pick up the bill.
Now there is something that could be corrected. "My license is not valid outside Louisiana, and no state offers reciprocity." You didn't say what your license is, but I was formerly a teacher, and I know that lack of reciprocity is a big impediment. Good luck to you as you rebuild your life. Just try to remember that many lives contain setbacks, but it all works out for the best.
I watched this hearing some. It looks like this aid is as much to th states as it is to the victims. Medicaid is a big part of state budgets which are now cut a lot.
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