Senators vent frustration (at Bushco) over Katrina aid bill

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of a Senate committee, including its Republican chairman, angrily accused the Bush administration on Thursday of sabotaging a bill to provide Medicaid health assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"Unfortunately, the White House is working against me behind the scenes, and I resent that, considering how I've delivered so much for the White House over the last 5 years," Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record) said in a hearing on recovery efforts from the U.S. Gulf Coast hurricanes.

Grassley, of Iowa, and the committee's top Democrat, Montana Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), are pushing a bill that would ease Medicaid eligibility requirements for storm victims for five months and provide states with reimbursement for 100 percent of costs for such patients.

Costs for Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor, are normally split between Washington and the states.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/hurricanes_medicaid_dc

[Burried News]

1. For these guys it ain't a matter of principle - it's the money.

[converted_democrat]

2. The natives are getting restless...n/t

[Sadie5]

3. Notice in an election year

that they suddenly finally realize they have obligations. It is good that they suddenly decided to jump ship.

[mom cat]

4. Bush is in no position to make enemies within his ranks...He must be

on the sause or snorting...or both!

[natrat]

5. there just so wrapped up in there starve the beast hate mentality

and have basically no humanity

[tom_paine]

6. That's about the long and short of it

n/t

[williesgirl]

7. My they do have voices a year before an election! n/t

[GetTheRightVote]

8. Though he is a repub, he is one of the better, Grassley = Iowa

Though Iowa is half/half, they do tend to care deeply for their fellow Americans and their problems and only wnat to help those victims of Katrina.

:kick:

[jillan]

9. Has anybody been paying attention to CSpan 2 tonite?

The dems have shut the senate down.

They are waiting to vote on the energy bill,. and the dems won't come back to the floor.

[goclark]

10. Are they back yet?

[jillan]

11. NO!!!! I started a thread on this-----}

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2141000&mesg_id=2141000