Joe Barton: “I am sorry, Madam Speaker, that we have to be here today to spend money that the taxpayers don't have, that Congress…”

“I am sorry, Madam Speaker, that we have to be here today to spend money that the taxpayers don't have, that Congress can't afford, for an economic stimulus program that doesn't work. The provision that is in the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee is the Federal Medicaid Assistance Program, specifically called FMAP. This is a program to help low-income constituents in a cost-share between the State government and the Federal Government. Spending on this program over the last 2 fiscal years has gone up almost 50 percent. The stimulus package that was enacted last year increased it an additional 6 percent, I believe, through December of this year. The bill before us would extend that extension until June of next year. There is no emergency in this program. There is no pending financial catastrophe in Medicaid. There is a long-term unfunded mandate, obviously, but in the short term this is not something that absolutely has to be done. The $16 billion that would be spent on this program ostensibly is to be spent for Medicaid, low-income health care assistance, but if you read the fine print, it doesn't have to. As we all know, Madam Speaker, money is fungible, and under this particular bill, while the nameplate says for Medicaid, the truth is the money can be spent for whatever purpose the State wants to spend it for. I don't think that's appropriate.”