From the Wall Street Journal:
A central feature of the Baucus bill is the vast expansion of state Medicaid programs. This is necessary, we are told, to cover more of the nation’s uninsured. The provision has angered governors, since the federal government will cover only part of the expansion and stick fiscally strapped states with an additional $37 billion in costs.
Could someone show me the clause in the Constitution that includes unfunded mandates as part of Congress’ enumerated powers?
The day after Obama rams this debacle of a plan through Congress, every statehouse in the country should be packed with citizens demanding to know how their state and local legislators intend to stop the federal government from robbing state and local taxpayers blind.
Medicaid is already an enormous drain on state balance sheets. Coupled with ridiculously generous public sector benefits and pension plans, those costs account for more than the entire budget shortfall in many states.
To sit idly by while the federal government drops yet another unsustainable fiscal burden in the laps of the sovereign states is not an option. Neither is hoping for a better Congress in 2010. The national Republicans will never be a viable alternative until they begin advocating for true federalism.
We need a return to the federalism of our founding and we need it yesterday.