|
National Conference of State Legislatures
The Forum for America's Ideas
|
March 16, 2005
The Honorable William Frist
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Re: Re: S. Con. Res. 18, Smith Amendment to FY 2006
Senate Budget Resolution
Dear Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Reid:
|
The Honorable Harry Reid
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20515
|
John Adams Hurson
Chairman, Health & Government
Operations Committee
Maryland House of Delegates
President, NCSL
James E. Greenwalt
Director, Senate Information
Systems and Administrative
Services
Minnesota
Staff Chair, NCSL
William T. Pound
Executive Director
|
|
On behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures, I want to take this opportunity to express our strong support for the Smith Amendment, S. Con. Res. 18, to the FY2006 Senate Budget Resolution that would remove instructions for the Senate Finance Committee to reduce Medicaid spending by $15 billion over the next five years. It would create a one-year commission that would give Medicaid the attention it sorely needs and deserves and would develop proposals that are the result of hard work and debate by all major stakeholders.
While NCSL agrees that the Medicaid program cannot continue on its present course indefinitely, we do not agree that serious health policy concerns can be addressed by simply reducing spending. The Smith amendment is a fair and thoughtful proposal to bring key stakeholders together to address the cost, coverage and federalism issues that are key to the ultimate success of the Medicaid program. NCSL urges you to support this important amendment.
Sincerely,
John A. Hurson
Maryland House of Delegate
President, NCSL
cc: Members, U.S. Senate
|
