[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 41 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LEADERSHIP IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

  (Mr. CAO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an important 
issue that, if left uncorrected, will affect the lives of many 
Louisianans. The issue is Louisiana's Federal Medical Assistance 
Percentage, or FMAP.
  FMAP is the percentage by which the Federal Government reimburses a 
State for Medicaid expenses and is calculated using per capita income. 
In Louisiana, we face a massive drop in our FMAP because relief and 
recovery dollars that flowed into the State after Hurricanes Katrina 
and Rita artificially inflated our per capita income.
  Senator Mary Landrieu was successful in including a provision in the 
Senate health care bill similar to H.R. 4047, which I introduced last 
year, to address the FMAP situation in Louisiana. Some have 
disparagingly referred to her provision as the Louisiana purchase. This 
is unfortunate, because Senator Mary Landrieu is doing what is right 
for Louisiana and other States similarly situated. I may have some 
serious concerns about provisions of the Senate health care bill, but 
this is not one of them.
  I applaud the Senator and her persistence and President Obama for his 
support of this provision because it is necessary for the State, for 
the gulf region, and for other States that may face FMAP predicaments 
like Louisiana.

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