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SUNUNU SENATE FLOOR REMARKS REGARDING UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST ON PROPOSED $9 BILLION EXPANSION OF MEDICAID PROGRAM
“Mr. President, if I might momentarily reserve the right to object. “Senator Baucus, the Senator from Montana, has given a powerful description of people who are in great need of help. There’s no question about that. Many of the states that are affected and other states have taken steps to provide help in many areas to set up uncompensated care funds to provide assistance to evacuees. I think the Senator from Montana would argue that it’s not enough. He would like to do more. And, his intention is obviously to bring this bill to the floor to deal with some of these concerns. “I have spoken before on this and will not speak at great length now. Suffice it say I do not believe that this bill is the right way and the best way to address those concerns. It has a cost of $9 billion dollars. It does include provisions that provide assistance to states regardless of whether they have evacuees located in them, regardless of whether they were hit by the hurricane. “I have been working, other members have been working with Senator Grassley and Senator Baucus and their staffs to try to come to some agreement, but that has not happened. “As I say, the question isn’t whether we should or want to provide assistance, but we want to make sure we do it in as way that ensures that resources get to where they’re most needed and in a way that takes advantage of the $45 billion or so that’s already been appropriated, but hasn’t been committed yet. So, I will object, I do object to the unanimous consent
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