|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Television Campaign to Stop Health Care Cuts for
Seniors Launched by AFSCME
Rep. Nussle targeted in effort to defeat GOP budget
cuts in February 1 House vote
 Jan. 19, 2006 – A new television campaign aimed at
persuading "moderate GOP members" of Congress to oppose cuts in the
budget reconciliation bill that would "gut health care for seniors," has
been launched by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME), and the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities
(ECAP).
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Vote on Budget Set for Feb. 1; Senior Groups Seek to
Sway GOP Moderates
Major cuts in senior citizen programs on the line in
vote
By
ElderLawAnswers.com
Jan. 16, 2006 - House Speaker Dennis Hastert
(R-Ill.) has tentatively scheduled a re-vote on the 2006 budget
reconciliation bill (S 1932) for February 1, the day after the House
reconvenes following its winter recess. Moderate Republicans are feeling
mounting pressure from groups like AARP to change their votes.
Read more...
Battle Not Over on Bill
to Cut Medicare, Medicaid
as Advocates Attack
Democratic leader will demand record vote with
support from AARP, Catholic Charities
Dec. 22, 2005 – The battle over the Budget
Reconciliation Act is not over. The Senate passed a modified version of
the House bill with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Cheney. Due to
the differences in the Senate bill, however, it must go back to the
House for a vote, where House Speaker Dennis Hastert has asked Democrat
leader Nancy Pelosi to agree to quick passage by "unanimous consent."
Read more...
Senate Joins House to Pass Deficit Bill Cutting
Medicare, Medicaid
AARP and others join in criticism of cuts in senior
programs
Dec. 21, 2005 – Vice President Dick Cheney stepped
in today to break a 50-50 vote in the Senate for the passage of the
deficit reduction act that was passed by the House on Monday. It is
aimed at reducing the deficit by $39.7 billion – much of this coming
from cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and the student loan program. The action
drew immediate criticism from AARP and others.
Read more...
Medicare, Medicaid Take Hits from House as Budget
Bill Goes to Senate Today
Surprise cut in home health care spending by Medicare
Dec. 19, 2005 – The Senate is expected to vote
today on the Budget Reconciliation Act passed by the House in the early
morning hours that is estimated to reduce the Federal Budget by just
under $40 billion. Significant cuts will be made in Medicaid and
Medicare under the bill.
Read more...
Read more on Senior Politics |
|
Last month, according to the organization, Congress
pushed through a vote to approve deep and harmful health care cuts that
would limit seniors' access to nursing home care and other critical
health services they need. But due to changes in the bill made by the
Senate, the House will have a chance to stop these cuts in a vote on
final passage scheduled for February 1.
"This budget vote is about whether members of
Congress support ordinary Americans," said AFSCME President Gerald
McEntee. "Is Congress going to protect health care for American seniors
or give away tax breaks to the very rich?"
AFSCME's television ad campaign will began airing
in 11 House districts on January 18 and will run for seven days.
Targeted members include Representatives Jim Nussle (IA-2), Jo Ann
Emerson (MO-8), Sherwood Boehlert (NY-24), Mark Green (WI-8), Nancy
Johnson (CT-5), Rob Simmons (CT-2), Chris Shays (CT-4), Mike Fitzpatrick
(PA-8), Jim Gerlach (PA-6), Fred Upton (MI-6), and Bob Beauprez (CO-7).
To watch the ads online, go to
http://actnow.org/press/.
The advertising campaign is part of a month-long
effort by ECAP and its coalition partners in 35 states to defeat the
budget bill in the House and stop cuts to health coverage, long-term
care, student aid, and other critical public services to fund nearly $70
billion in tax breaks for the rich.
In addition to the television ads, AFSCME, and ECAP
will be holding local events to educate seniors and others about the
harm, which would be inflicted on countless Americans by the Draconian
cuts included in the budget bill -- especially for seniors in the area
of health care.
The activities will include town hall meetings with
members of Congress, press conferences, direct mail, print and radio
advertising, email, phone calls, district meetings, a nationally
coordinated lobbying effort and an innovative online protest that has
drawn nearly 30,000 participants to
http://www.actnow.org/.
Congressman Jim
Nussle (R-Iowa) is the target of at least part of the campaign. Nussle
claims to have constructed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, as
chairman of the House Budget Committee.
AFSCME issued the following statement about their
aim at Nussle.
"AFSCME and the Emergency Campaign for America's
Priorities (ECAP) are running ads because Representative Nussle recently
voted to approve a budget plan that calls for using budget cuts to pay
for new tax breaks. The following table provides specific info on the
ads' statements. Rep. Nussle has a history of voting for budget cuts and
tax breaks in the past and may do so again.
They issued the following points to support their
statement.
"Nussle recently voted to make seniors pay more
for their health care"
On December 19th, Rep. Nussle voted for the
House-Senate Conference Report to the Reconciliation Budget Bill (Roll
Call vote #670)(1), which would make seniors pay more for health care
services, including Medicaid. Medicaid provides essential health care
services to vulnerable Americans, including seniors.
Cutting federal funds to state Medicaid services
reduces seniors' access to health care and pressures state officials to
cut Medicaid's budget and restrict health services.
The Congressional Budget Office expects these cuts
will reduce "utilization of services and decrease participation in
Medicaid by individuals who would be required to pay premiums."
● This legislation enables states to charge
substantial premiums to Medicaid beneficiaries earning more than 150% of
the federal poverty level and those not paying these premiums within 60
days can be terminated from the program. It also enables states to
charge these beneficiaries co- payments of up to 20% for medical
services' costs (with a quarterly cap of 5% of income)
● It enables states to charge beneficiaries at
100%-150% of poverty co-payments up to 10%.
● In contrast, current law protects beneficiaries
by requiring states to charge nominal cost sharing fees (typically <$3)
and preventing providers from denying services to individuals who do not
pay.
"Nussle's vote to cut health care will deny
nursing care to thousands."
Nussle voted for the December 19th budget
legislation, which reduces the number of seniors with modest incomes who
will receive nursing home coverage.
● This legislation restricts eligibility for
Medicaid long-term care services by disqualifying individuals with more
than $500,000 in home equity (states may impose a $750,000 cap). In
contrast, current law does not include the value of an individual's home
when determining eligibility for Medicaid.
● The legislation delays the start of nursing
home benefits and lengthens the benefitless period to some eligible
seniors who gave gifts to relatives or contributed to charities.
Specifically, it (1) starts the benefitless penalty period at Medicaid
eligibility rather than (current law) at the time of the
gift/contribution; and (2) factors in (below market) asset transfers
during the past 5 years rather than (current law) the past 3 years.
"Cutting health care to give extra tax breaks to
millionaires is just plain wrong."
Including the cuts described above, this budget
legislation health care cuts overall Medicaid health services by $11
billion ($4.8 billion net) and overall Medicare health services by $6.4
billion (net). This would harm millions of Americans, including
children, people with disabilities, and seniors, by reducing their
access to health care and increasing their costs. This would increase
Americans' health care co- payments and premiums. It eliminates federal
protections, which enables states to cut benefits to poor working
parents and to almost all 28 million kids currently receiving Medicaid,
including millions in poverty.
"It's wrong to cut health care for Iowa seniors
to give tax breaks to millionaires."
The Reconciliation Budget legislation above is part
of a broader Reconciliation package, which also includes Reconciliation
Tax legislation. On December 8, 2005, Rep. Nussle voted for this
Reconciliation Tax legislation (House Roll Call vote #621)(2), which
would give away tax breaks of $56.1 billion, including a $20 billion tax
break to prolong (for 2 extra years) the 15% tax rate on capital gains
and dividend income. The non-partisan Urban Institute-Brookings
Institution Tax Policy Center states 45% of the capital gains and
dividends tax break would go to taxpayers earning more than $1 million.
Thus, the broader Reconciliation package includes tax breaks to
millionaires and these are partially paid for by the package's cuts to
health care.
"Nussle's votes are part of a long-term
pattern."
Rep. Nussle has voted for past tax breaks for
millionaires.
● Early in 2005, Rep. Nussle voted for the
House-Senate Conference Report on the 2005 Congressional Budget
Resolution (House Roll Call vote #149)(3), including $70 billion in tax
breaks.
● On May 23, 2003, Rep. Nussle voted for
President Bush's 2003 tax plan (House Roll Call vote #225)(4), which
contained $550 billion in tax breaks and disproportionately benefited
the wealthy. According to Citizens for Tax Justice, the 2003 tax bill
will provide nearly 66% of the tax benefits to the best-off 10% of
taxpayers and will provide the bottom 60% with only 7.8% of these
benefits. During 2004-2007, the richest 1% would receive an average
annual tax reduction of $96,634 and the bottom 60% of taxpayers would
get less than $100.
● On May 26, 2001, Rep. Nussle voted for
President Bush's 2001 tax plan (House Roll Call vote #149)(5), which
contained $1.35 trillion in tax breaks and disproportionately benefited
the wealthy.
Endnotes:
1. House Roll Call vote #670 is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll670.xml. This vote concerns the
Conference Report (109-362) of the "Deficit Reduction Omnibus
Reconciliation Act of 2005" S. 1932.
2. House Roll Call vote #621 is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll621.xml. This vote concerns the
"Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005", H.R. 4297, U.S.
House of Representatives, 109th Congress (2005).
3. House Roll Call vote #149 is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll149.xml. This vote concerns the
House-Senate Conference Report on the Congressional Res. 95 ("2005
Congressional Budget Resolution"), U.S. House of Representatives,
109th
Congress-2005.
4. House Roll Call vote #225 is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll225.xml. This vote concerns the
"Jobs and Growth Reconciliation Tax Act", H.R. 2, U.S. House of
Representatives, 108th Congress (2003).
5. House Roll Call vote #149 is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll149.xml. This vote concerns the
"Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act", H.R. 1836,
U.S.
House of Representatives, 107th Congress (2001).
Source: American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees
Web sites:
http://www.afscme.org/
http://www.actnow.org/
Click here to Search SeniorJournal.com for more on
this subject
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
