Democrats Block Efforts to Cut Wasteful Spending, Expand Health Care Coverage to Low-Income Americans

Washington, D.C. – In a series of party-line votes, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected a number of common sense proposals to cut wasteful spending in the Kennedy health care bill and ensure that funds go to help low-income Americans get the care they need.

“Common sense tells us not spend $80 billion on farmers’ markets and jungle gyms when this bill leaves tens of millions of Americans uninsured. Americans need health insurance and our national credit card is maxed out, but the Kennedy bill would take us on an out-of-control spending spree,” said Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the HELP Committee.

Along party lines, Democrats defeated the following amendments offered by Republicans during today’s HELP Committee consideration of the Kennedy bill:

• Enzi #1: redirects money for sidewalks and jungle gyms to help low?income Americans afford health insurance;

• Coburn #21 and #22: prohibit billions of dollars from being spent on pet projects in years that Medicare, Social Security have unfunded liabilities;

• Coburn #50 and Enzi #94: prohibit duplicative programs; • Murkowski #10: targets free services and screenings toward low?income Americans who need them most; and,

• Coburn #49: prohibits funds from being used on wasteful construction projects like farmers’ markets and jungle gyms.

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