Cheney Comes To The Rescue

In the midst of Snoopgate, the business of cutting programs that benefit the disabled, poor and elderly continues unabated. Our Bible-toting, “put Christ back in Christmas,” Senators in Washington are preparing to vote on a bill that will cut $40 billion from the deficit by the end of the decade. The bill faces a tight vote because it includes drastic cuts to Medicaid and a provision that would make it harder for beneficiaries to transfer assets to their children in order to qualify for government-paid nursing home care. The AARP believes these cuts will deny long-term care to people who need it the most.

The Budget Bill would deny people nursing home care if they have given financial help to family members and charities. This bill would also hurt people who cannot afford higher copayments by denying them the health care they need. It could also force people in areas where real estate prices have skyrocketed to sell their houses to get the long-term care they need.

The Republicans are also asking students to sacrifice for the sake of the deficit; no program will take a bigger hit than college loans, where almost $13 billion would be cut over five years.

The $12.7 billion in college cuts are part of an effort, led by conservative Republican lawmakers, to show discipline with the public's money.

The vote is expected to be so close that Vice-President Cheney is rushing home from an overseas diplomatic mission to be the tiebreaker vote. You see, it’s important to get this $40 billion bill passed. God forbid the bill fails and they have to give up the $60 billion in TAX BREAKS the Senate gave them last month. That’s a sacrifice those Rolls-Royce Republicans just aren’t willing to make.