Don Nickles: “I would like to express some concerns I have regarding the Family Opportunity Act. I agree with Chairman Grassley's…”

“I would like to express some concerns I have regarding the Family Opportunity Act. I agree with Chairman Grassley's position that it is critically important to make sure that our federal safety net programs do not create disadvantages for families to work and therefore earn their way off federal assistance. He has made the argument that it is wrong that families, who are currently served by public programs such as Supplemental Security Income, must decline promotions and raises which would improve their situation for fear of losing their health care coverage. I agree and will support an effort to address these inequities and help those families move off of federal programs. The legislation currently contemplated by Senators Grassley and Kennedy does not simply remove the work disincentive in SSI. In fact, the legislation applies to families who have never been on SSI nor would ever qualify for SSI. This legislation would open up Medicaid to a family who earns up to $51,000 for a family of four. In this situation, these families would be competing against families who do qualify for SSI and are currently waiting, in some cases, up to 900 days to simply get on the program they desperately need. These are the poorest of the poor. They are the people for whom this program was designed but they are not being served effectively. In my opinion it is unacceptable to punish lower income Medicaid eligible persons presently waiting for needed assistance.”