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January 25, 2010 in City
Gregoire urges Congress to take action on health care
Governor worried about impact on state’s budget problems
OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire and a phalanx of state officials who deal with health care tried to send a message to a Congress that may be wavering on the issue in the wake of last week’s U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts:
“Regardless of one election, national health care reform is essential,” Gregoire said at a mid-morning press conference. “Get it done.”
If Congress can’t pass a comprehensive reform package quickly, it should pass the funding changes that would send more federal money to Washington to cover Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, and give the state a waiver that would help cover the costs of state health care programs for poor children.
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said that under the current systems, Washington expects to have 1 million people without health insurance by the end of 2011, and currently has a fourth of its population that is “under insured.”
Asked how worried she is that Congress will not pass a health care funding package by the time the Legislature has to make decisions on the state’s budget problems, she replied: “Quite.”
She suggested they vote on fiscal health care issues first which take a simple majority to pass, then take up policy issues that might be more difficult with the Democrats’ loss of a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate.
Some policy issues, such as banning insurance companies from refusing coverage for pre-existing conditions, have broad support, she said. They should determine the issues on which they have strong agreement, and work out the disagreements on the rest.
Because of uncertainty over health care reimbursement and a possible economic stimulus package, Gregoire said the state could receive anywhere from $1 billion to nothing from the federal government before the Legislature adjourns on March 11. She said she has a tax package that would help replace some $780 million if federal money isn’t available, but said she won’t announce it until after the next state revenue forecast in mid February.
“I’m going to honor the request of the speaker and the majority leader that I not come out with a tax package right now,” she said. Asked whether the public might be concerned about what taxes she’d propose and want to see her plan sooner than mid February, she said the public is most concerned that she would have to make the cuts in health care and social programs she announced in December. “It would be irresponsible for me to come out with a tax package now.”
She said she wanted to give the Legislature time to work through its plans, also. Thus far, each house of the Legislature has passed at least one bill involving budget savings, although neither has taken up a bill passed by the other. Still, the governor described the Legislature as busy with different ideas on jobs, education and the budget:
“They’re working at a fevered pitch.”
On other topics:
• Gregoire said she could support extending the sales tax to candy, although she isn’t yet ready to set any money from that tax into a separate account to pay for health care. “We have to look at the budget as a whole.”
She described the purchase of candy as “a choice” and said a tax there would be preferable to a general tax increase.
• She also wants more information on a proposal by Republicans to “smooth out” projected increases in Unemployment Insurance taxes, on the rise because of high levels of unemployment. “I’ve asked that it have a hearing. I don’t know if it works or it doesn’t work.”
• Does not support proposals to add private insurance to the state’s workers’ compensation system, contending it would cause those rates to rise. “Look at the health care industry. Are your rates going down? Are you happy with your rates?”
Romney/Paul split weighing on county GOP 
gotcha on January 25 at 2:33 p.m.
Sounds like our govenor is in over her head. Why don’t you resign. You politicans need to learn how to manage with a balanced budget, and get real with your state and federal spending. Cut the size of goverment. Work with a balanced budget. Get rid of fat cat do nothings and give us our country back. You people have done nothing but burden us with your over spending and embarassed yourselves with your incompatience.
bdr on January 25 at 2:53 p.m.
gotcha you got zero memory……your entire team including brown want health care…….they just dont have any answers….the last republican mandate offered up as a bill took the uninsured from 40 million to 53 million. HAHAHAHA……..LAUGHABLE BULL.
GREGOIRE IS RIGHT……..PASS THE BILL. THE DEMS NEED TO REALIZE THE REPUBLICANS OFFER UP NOTHING BUT BANKRUPT DREAMS AND ZERO RICHES KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
IF ONLY BUSH COULD HAVE DONE 1/8TH OF OBAMA’S FIRST YEAR. (WE WOULD HAVE A COUNTRY LEFT).
HAHA……WE DEMS CAN SEE RIGHT THRU REPUBLICAN EMPTY PROMISES……..WE NEED TO BACK DEMS SOLID PROMISES TODAY.
DOING NOTHING…..AS REPUBS WANT……WILL BANKRUPT THE ENTIRE USA…IN 5 YEARS……
FREEDOM YES…..FREEDOM TO GO BANKRUPT.
PASS THE BILL!
gotcha on January 25 at 3:26 p.m.
bdr If Obama is the best that Harvard has to offer we are in a sad state…He is an incompentent child, and has proved he will accomplish nothing in his administration. A total failure with an arogance that makes me vomit.
builder_or_pyramids on January 25 at 3:57 p.m.
Let me say that the state wants its rights yet is willing to sell out for federal money. What the government pays for the government owns. If you take fed money, you follow the fed rules over taking the funding.
The other issue is that health care is not a right but a politically correct term called entitlement. Health care is not an entitlement either.
Parents in Washington state put their children on some form of medication for ADD, AHDA or whatever alphabet line-up you want to use, claim the kid has mental issues and poof, they get a check for being a parent.
Parents should not get paid to take care of their own children and I don’t care if the child is truly mentally retarded to the ump degree. There are programs like section 8 housing, food stamps, vouchers for utilities and other basic welfare programs. I say embarrass the heck out of welfare, government hand-out mentality people. GET a JOB or start a business and hire someone who is unemployed.
They are the ones complaining about welfare bailouts for businesses. They are absolutely no better than the companies who got bailed out. Their check is smaller (cause they are worth as much), BUT it still comes every month.
Let the parents get SSI or disability from the feds and they can deal with the red tape. Cut cost of paying parents getting paid to be parents. That would save millions a month with all the people I’ve heard bragging about the programs of once you stick your kid on something up here.
Second, don’t put a tax on my candy bar, soda or other treat when some welfare rider is going to use their food credit card (so they aren’t embarrassed) to buy a slab of chocolate to shove in the whiner’s mouths because they can’t control them like a parent should.
That block of chocolate will get taxed and then the welfare department will need more money and I will pay more in taxes anyway. I am going to get nailed either way and then again.
Solutions are simple in this situation.
Get rid of the paid to be a parent program that qualifies you for welfare. Don’t tax candy and soda and the other items OR Quit the hog wash and just tax all groceries as a whole.
THEN EVERYBODY WILL VOTE FOR A CLEAN HOUSE, SENATE AND GOVERNOR IN THE NEXT GO AROUND.
Get it together up there in Olympia. I already have a few endorsements who would like to see me run and several others to change how things are being run.
Diana on January 25 at 7:34 p.m.
Gotcha, what does that mean when you say give us our country back?
liarsinnews on January 25 at 7:50 p.m.
If the citizens allow the idiots in Olympia to control their destiny, they deserve what they get and keep the worst of the worst, Madame Gregoire. Gregoire seems to enjoy working with political pimps.
Marksman on January 26 at 8:46 a.m.
BDR, Gregoire needs the Fed money cause she blew through the state surplus. Remember the campaign ad with the 12 Billion dollars going up in flames? Elephants remember! There was one attack on US soil while Dubyah was President; How many have there been since O’Bummers coup; three, possibly more? In one year O’Bummer has created a deficit measured in the Trillions, put 20 million Amercans on unemployment, pissed off all our Allies, lost his majority rule in the Senate and has put his party on the road to oblivion. Did I mention Geithners payoff to the Banks and Wall Street while Main Street ponders how it will keep the lights on and the doors open. Healthcare was the biggest joke to come out of DC since Clintons welfare reform! Bribes and payoffs for everyone who supported the O’Bummer plan. Oh and who hasn’t benefitted from the stimulus? Recent reports indicate the cost of O’Bummer job creation schemes run about a Million per job created. Yeah, O’Bummer has had a great first year. Whats next; surrender to Bin Ladin? BTW try hitting the cap lock key next time you post!
shanusmaximus on January 26 at 9:27 a.m.
“She described the purchase of candy as “a choice” and said a tax there would be preferable to a general tax increase.”
Ah I see what she did there. Well…..abortion is a choice. Tax it. Since she is essentially saying that anything that is a choice should be taxed.
This clown governor can’t even keep OUR basic health program afloat, how the hell does she expect the Feds to do it? Oh, thats right, she is holding out for another “stimulus”. WHAT A PLAN!!! Do you all live in a dreamworld where trees grow dollar bills? Do you people realize the HOLE we are in? We can’t even afford a bed pan to **** in and they want to run something that every state that has tried has failed. They can’t afford to get everyone covered IN THIS STATE!!!!!!!!!!