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Gregoire in D.C. Trying to Get Federal Dollars
Gov. Chris Gregoire's fight to get FMAP funding—federal medical insurance dollars that are in the state budget, but which haven't yet been approved by Congress—has taken her to Washington, D.C.
Gregoire is in the other Washington today on a lobbying mission with several other governors, including Democratic Govs. Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Republicans Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Sonny Perdue of Georgia, to make the case that without the federal dollars (which had initially been approved by both the U.S. House and Senate, but are now "in peril" to use Rendell's words), hope of economic recovery would be lost.
Congress has voted down the measure—part of an omnibus jobs bill—three times this month.
Olympia is counting on $480 million in FMAP money, although the latest losing version only included about $350 million.
Speaking in a queue of desperate governors today, Gregoire told reporters in DC that after cutting over $4 billion from the state budget, without the FMAP money, she'd be forced to make another 7.5 percent "across-the-board" cuts, which would mean an end to hospice care for seniors, cuts to preschool, and cutting 60,000 people off low-income medical assistance. Alternately, she said, she'd have to call a special session of the legislature to make targeted cuts.
"We are in a fragile recovery," Gregoire said. Not getting the FMAP money (which she said will create 6,400 jobs), "could put Washington State in a double-dip recession"(meaning, the state would slide into a second recession without ever recovering from the first.)
Gov. Rendell, who headed up today's press conference, said the governors were not in D.C. to tell Congress what bill to pass or how to fund it, but only to dramatize how important FMAP money was to their states.
The most promising FMAP bill in play now has been proposed by Tea Party hero Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA)
The conservative Washington Policy Center think tank (and their blogger Jason Mercier) had a good backgrounder heading into today's press conference.
Gregoire is in the other Washington today on a lobbying mission with several other governors, including Democratic Govs. Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Republicans Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Sonny Perdue of Georgia, to make the case that without the federal dollars (which had initially been approved by both the U.S. House and Senate, but are now "in peril" to use Rendell's words), hope of economic recovery would be lost.
Congress has voted down the measure—part of an omnibus jobs bill—three times this month.
Olympia is counting on $480 million in FMAP money, although the latest losing version only included about $350 million.
Speaking in a queue of desperate governors today, Gregoire told reporters in DC that after cutting over $4 billion from the state budget, without the FMAP money, she'd be forced to make another 7.5 percent "across-the-board" cuts, which would mean an end to hospice care for seniors, cuts to preschool, and cutting 60,000 people off low-income medical assistance. Alternately, she said, she'd have to call a special session of the legislature to make targeted cuts.
"We are in a fragile recovery," Gregoire said. Not getting the FMAP money (which she said will create 6,400 jobs), "could put Washington State in a double-dip recession"(meaning, the state would slide into a second recession without ever recovering from the first.)
Gov. Rendell, who headed up today's press conference, said the governors were not in D.C. to tell Congress what bill to pass or how to fund it, but only to dramatize how important FMAP money was to their states.
The most promising FMAP bill in play now has been proposed by Tea Party hero Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA)
The conservative Washington Policy Center think tank (and their blogger Jason Mercier) had a good backgrounder heading into today's press conference.
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