Kendrick Meek: “I stand here today to urge restraint on the part of the Congress on both sides of the aisle, both Republicans and…”

“I stand here today to urge restraint on the part of the Congress on both sides of the aisle, both Republicans and Democrats, to understand when they begin to dismantle the only health care program for the poor that we have in this country, that they should take some pause before doing that. I think the American public needs to know not what is going on here in Washington and the bills and the resolutions, but they need to know what is not there. The Republicans want to cut Medicaid by $170 billion, and I listened this morning and I heard some greedy Governors, particularly Governors from Republican States, who want to have all the money dumped in one pile so they can use it as they see fit. And I guarantee you it will not all be used for the purposes for which it is intended. They show little concern about the impact of these proposals on children, the elderly, and the severely disabled. They are concerned about management and about how they can use this money to make their coffers stronger. They like to cut dollars, but they do not like to create alternatives. I have heard no alternatives to Medicaid since I have been here. Mr. Speaker, I urge restraint on the part of the Congress to think about the poor and the underserved.”