Senate panel backs $10 billion in health care cuts
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved $10 billion inMedicaid and Medicare savings as part of a broader effort bycongressional Republicans to trim spending and approve additional taxcuts.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, anIowa Republican, said the bill’s savings would affect the healthindustry and not beneficiaries. The bill, approved by a 11-9 party linevote, would improve health care access for children and low incomebeneficiaries, he said.
But Democratic opponents said they areworried the emphasis would shift to beneficiaries later in thelegislative process when the Senate and House of Representatives try towork out differences.
“I am concerned about the fate of thebill,” Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the top Democrat on the panel.”Although many of its policies are sound, I am not confident that mostwill survive a conference with the House.”
Grassley said the full Senate could take up the measure as early as next week.
The legislation is part of a broader effort in the Senate to cutspending by about $35 billion over five years with most of thereductions from health care and other mandatory programs. Butconservatives are pushing for even bigger savings throughout a greaternumber of government programs.