[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26550]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in South America there is 
a tenacious parasitic plant that attaches itself to trees. As it climbs 
to the top of the tree canopy seeking the light, the plant thrives. But 
eventually, in the end, it kills the tree.
  That is what an unfunded mandate by the Federal Government does to 
States. Putting more people onto Medicaid arguably is a good thing that 
takes people off the roles of the uninsured. But the Pelosi health care 
bill will cost all of the States an added $34 billion in new burdens.
  My Pennsylvania colleagues and I warned our Governor back when we 
thought people at 133 percent of the poverty level would be eligible 
for Medicaid. That would have cost the State $2.2 billion over 10 
years. Now we are looking at those at 150 percent of poverty level. 
That will add 15 million to the Medicaid program nationwide.
  Tennessee Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen called it ``the mother of 
all unfunded mandates.''
  We may soon be saying our prayers for many of our States, when a 
program intended to help poor women, children, and the disabled turns 
out to be the death knell for a number of State budgets.

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