[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICAID

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, most States, including my own State of 
Pennsylvania, are facing significant budget problems this fiscal year. 
The fiscal situation in some States eerily resembles Greece and 
Ireland.
  Unfortunately, the Federal Government is adding fuel to the fire with 
new Medicaid mandates that could cost the States billions of dollars. 
ObamaCare burdens the States in two ways. First, it requires them to 
enroll millions more beneficiaries. While the Federal Government will 
at first pay for the benefits of these new enrollees, the States will 
gradually have to start picking up the tab. Second, the Federal 
Government will only help cover the cost of benefits, not the 
administrative costs associated with all these new enrollees. Since 
some States will be forced to nearly double their Medicaid rolls, this 
will certainly hit their budgets hard.
  We cannot forget that 49 of 50 States are required to balance their 
budgets every year. They will face the grim choice of discontinuing 
their Medicaid program, raising taxes, or slashing other essential 
government services.
  We have talked a lot about ObamaCare bankrupting the Federal 
Government, but we can't forget that it could drive States over the 
cliff at the same time.

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