Jay Rockefeller: “it is very perplexing, really, because I was noting when the Senator from Nebraska was here, the floor was crowded with…”

“it is very perplexing, really, because I was noting when the Senator from Nebraska was here, the floor was crowded with Senators on our last votes. Obviously, all of a sudden, the Senate floor was empty when we came to what is the single most important part of the relationship with the Federal Government that States are worried about and that is their Medicaid match. This Senator was a Governor for 8 years. I remember what happened in the early 1980s when we had the recession. I remember what happened in Medicaid and I remember what happened in the public employees insurance. Everything sort of collapsed. And then there is this body up there in Washington that thinks it is so high and mighty that it doesn't need to pay attention to the problems of States. We only pay attention to the problems of the world and the country. This is an example where this was part of the stimulus package and we were dealing with the absolutely most critically important part of whether a child eats, whether a child has medical services, whether a family has medical services, and everybody is silent. I have a very strong feeling that if this were taken to a vote, it would get well over 60 votes. I know the Senator from Illinois is here and so is the Senator from Minnesota. But there is this strange silence, which sounds like a rolling filibuster without voice. I think it is wrong. We are ready to go to a vote. I am going to keep saying that because it is important.”