[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         NEW MEDICAID APPROACH

  (Mr. EHLERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, there has been a great deal of discussion 
about Medicare in this Chamber, but I believe it is time to begin the 
discussion of Medicaid.
  I recall when I served on the Michigan legislature some of the 
oldtimers told me when the original Medicaid bill was passed a Member 
got up and refused to vote for it. He said, ``I predict that someday 
this State will spend $50 million a year on this program.''
  Mr. Speaker, he was wrong. Today the State of Michigan is spending $2 
billion on that program every year, approximately 20 percent of their 
general fund budget. That was true for State after State.
  In my State of Michigan, Mr. Speaker, when I was in the legislature, 
it was very frustrating because we knew where we could save money in 
the Medicaid program, but the Federal Government refused to give us the 
freedom to pursue the actions that we wanted to pursue.
  I believe it is very important that we proceed with the approach the 
Republicans are advocating, giving the States leeway in how they go on 
the program and giving them block grants so they can run it efficiently 
and properly. I urge that we adopt the new Medicaid approach operating 
through State block grants.

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