Capitol Calling

House passes health care bill in a squeaker

C-Span probably better ratings than usual yesterday after politicos watched the U.S. House pass a major health care bill by a tiny margin.

The bill - which would institute a government health insurance program, force most Americans to purchase insurance and expand Medicaid to 150 percent of the federal poverty level - passed 220-215. Only one Republican - U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao, R-La. - voted for the bill. Approximately 39 Democrats - including U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Lexington - voted against it.

Otherwise, the Missouri delegation essentially voted on party lines on the bill. U.S. Reps. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, and Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, voted for the bill. U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, Todd Akin, R-Town and Country, and Roy Blunt, R-Springfield.

One reason why the bill probably passed was an amendment that banned the public option or any insurance plan subsidized with government tax credits from paying for abortions. If that amendment isn't in the final bill, it may make the final House vote a whole lot more suspenseful.

Here's Luetkemeyer's floor speech on the bill:

 

KBIA Commentary: Million Dollar Dream

My commentary for KBIA this week looks at what the state will have to do in order to prevent more budget cuts down the road. Given the structural and legislative impediments, it may not bad an easy task.

Here it is:

Wildberger appointed to county position

The Missouri House is losing another member.

Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, to be the recorder of deeds for Buchanan County. Nixon's office announced in a press release that the term-limited lawmaker resigned his seat in the General Assembly to the take position.

“I thank Gov. Nixon for giving me this new opportunity to serve the people of the county I have always called my home,” Wildberger said in statement. “I appreciate being able to work closely with the Governor during my time in the House and his time as Governor and as Attorney General, and I pledge to serve the people of Buchanan County to the best of my ability as their new recorder.”

Wildberger unsuccessfully challenged House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence, for his position after the 2008 election cycle. He was seen as possible candidate for a state Senate seat in Buchanan and Platte counties, but deferred to state Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph.

So far, four state lawmakers have left the Missouri House since the legislature adjourned. Former Democratic Reps. Steve Brown and T.D. El-Amin departed after pleading guilty to federal charges. Former Rep. Dennis Wood left to take a position in Stone County.

Nixon set the election for Wildberger's replacement for Feb. 4, 2010.

KY3: McCaskill opines on Medicaid expansion provision

KY3 political reporter David Catanese asked Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, about the provision in federal health care legislation that would expand Medicaid to either 133 percent or 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

It's a far more expansive answer than the one the first-term senator gave in Jefferson City a couple months ago. You can check it out by clicking here.

Nixon taps Kansas native to lead DED

Gov. Jay Nixon announced that David Kerr will serve as the director of the Department of Economic Development.

Kerr, who formerly served as the Commerce Secretary for the state of Kansas, will be the permanent replacement for Linda Martinez. Martinez, a St. Louis attorney, resigned earlier this year.

“David Kerr has an impressive resume of success as both the leader of a state economic development agency and in the private sector as a top executive with one of the largest telecommunications companies in the country," Nixon said in a statement. “His experience will be a great asset to Missouri in the competition to attract and retain the good-paying jobs that will make the best use of our highly skilled, trained workforce.”

Nixon's press release also contained a quote from Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, adding that he is looking forward "to Director Kerr being an important part of the bipartisan effort by Gov. Nixon and the General Assembly to build a robust economic climate in Missouri."

The Missouri Senate will have to confirm Kerr's nomination.

House plan would push up Medicaid eligbility

One of the most important aspects of the pending federal health care bill for Missouri could be how Congress expands Medicaid. Multiple versions of the federal legislation would push the minimum eligibility rates far beyond the Show Me State's current levels, a move that could force the state to expend resources when the provision goes into effect.

One Senate version of the health care bill would push the minimum eligibility rate to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The feds would pick up most of the cost. But the House unveiled a new version of its health care bill today that would make the minimum rate 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

Details are still filtering in about how much the expansion would cost the state. Scott Rowson, a spokesman at the Missouri Department of Social Services, said the agency does not have a cost estimate on the House proposal yet. He said that the move would add roughly 291,000 people to the state's Medicaid program.

It should be noted that the final cost of the provision to the state probably won't be known until a final bill is passed and signed into law. Even if the House passed a bill that, say, made states pay for 40 percent of the expansion, that could be taken out when the House and Senate bills are combined later on in the process.

At least one member of Missouri's congressional delegation is speaking out against the expansion provision. Paul Sloca, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, sent the following e-mailed statement:

“At a time when states all across the country are being forced to make difficult decisions to balance their budgets, the powers that be in Washington have deemed it necessary to pass the mother of all unfunded mandates unto the states. This is wrong.  The federal government should not be forcing states to expand services they simply cannot afford.”

Sloca also wrote that according to a Democratic summary produced by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor committees, the expansion would be paid for by the feds for the first couple of years. After that, states would have to pick up 9 percent of the expansion.

By the way, this is what Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, said about the issue earlier in the year. She indicated that expanding Medicaid to 133 percent of the federal poverty level would make it harder for the bill to stay "deficit neutral:"

Nixon answers questions on budget cuts

As a follow up to the previous post, here are a couple videos of Nixon answering questions about the more than $200 million his administration cut from this year's budget.

Here they are:

Here's another video:

Nixon unveils fresh cuts

My article for the St. Louis Beacon today is on Gov. Jay Nixon's announcement of more budget cuts for the current fiscal year.

You can read the story here and watch the announcement in the video below.

Take a look:

KBIA Commentary: Mr. Brightside

My KBIA commentary this week touches on my article for the St. Louis Beacon on the future of Missouri's Medicaid program.

Federal health care legislation could force states to raise Medicaid eligibility rates. It's a move that could test Gov. Jay Nixon and Republicans in the legislature.

Take a listen:

All for the Empire

A-Rod? More like Ster-Rod!

I am by no means a fan of either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. I think the squads showcase everything that's wrong with baseball. But I have a rather irrational way of showing allegiance. And that's the main reason why I want the Bronx Bombers to obliterate the Philadelphia Phillies.

You see, the Phillies beat my beloved Tampa Bay Rays last year. Sure, I like the Chicago White Sox more than the Devil Rays. But this was probably the only chance in history for the usually floundering franchise to succeed. And the fact that a Philadelphia team beat them to the ground? Well, I just can't accept that.

So in short, go Yankees. Destroy the Phillies. It's for the greater good.