Kent Conrad: “We do. I have in my hand a report from the Center on Budget Policy Priorities, a group the Senator knows well, a very…”

“We do. I have in my hand a report from the Center on Budget Policy Priorities, a group the Senator knows well, a very well respected group in this town. This is the headline: ``Budget Conference Agreement Contains Substantial Cuts Aimed at Low-Income Families and Individuals.'' One of the points they make is that this budget agreement increases the copayment and premiums for those who are on Medicaid. Those are the least fortunate among us. They say: A large body of research has found that such cost-sharing increases are likely to lead many low-income Medicaid patients to forego various health care services and medications or not to enroll in Medicaid at all. Second, it provides for benefit reductions. They go on to report that the conference report retains about a third of the House-passed cuts that, for many Medicaid beneficiaries, would eliminate the Federal standards which assure that they receive comprehensive health care coverage. It goes on. Some of the cuts are for, stunningly enough, child support enforcement. So they are cutting funds for child support enforcement. The CBO estimates show the conference report includes a billion and a half in cuts in Federal funding for child support enforcement efforts. That is funding that States use to track down absent parents, for child support orders, and to collect and distribute child support.…”