Bruce Poliquin defends children’s health care cut measure as critics pile on

May 15--Just a few months after approving a six-year extension of the Child Health Insurance Program that serves about 23,000 Maine minors, Congress may strip $7 billion from funds it already approved for the program.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Republican from Maine's 2nd District, is among the cosponsors of a measure that would rescind the funding as part of a $15 billion plan that supporters said will reduce federal spending.

In a recent statement on the issue, Poliquin said the money he seeks to strip away would be wasted. He also said it can't be spent anyhow.

The two-term lawmaker said cutting the appropriation will have no impact on federal outlays or on enrollment in the two-decade-old program that provides health insurance for children from families with incomes a little too high to qualify for Medicaid.

Critics said it won't actually save much money -- the move would amount mostly to an accounting shuffle -- and sends a disturbing message about the nation's priorities.

Joan Alker, executive director of The Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, said the president's proposal "undermines the bipartisan CHIP agreement and removes reassurances states need that funding will be available to keep kids covered" simply "to score political points" with the Republican base.

The measure pushed by Trump would cancel $15 billion in unspent government appropriations, including approvals for a $4.3 billion vehicle technology initiative, $107 million in Hurricane Sandy relief, railroad benefits and money allocated for the 2015 Ebola outbreak that never got spent. Congress has 45 days to agree or else the rescission bid falls short.

The CHIP funding rescission is the item that has raised the most ire. It calls for cancelling $5.1 billion in approved funding that wasn't used and another $1.9 billion that serves as a sort of rainy day fund in case states experience unexpectedly high needs.

"Only a handful of states have had to tap the contingency fund before -- Iowa, Michigan and Tennessee -- but rescinding $2 billion from the fund undermines the very assurance it was created to provide," said Alker, with the Center for Children and Families.

Her center estimates there are 14,427 children enrolled in the program in Poliquin's sprawling northern Maine district. Another 8,830 live in the 1st District.

Brendan Conley, Poliquin's press aide, said Tuesday that concerns are overblown. He said that even after the proposed cuts, "there would still be $500 million in the contingency fund" -- an account that has seen only $310 million in claims made against it in the past decade.

Poliquin defended his position as a necessary check on a soaring deficit.

"Washington's spending is out of control and, as an original cosponsor and strong supporter of a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution, I've long called for changes to our processes in Congress to make sure we can get our spending under control regardless of which party is in power or political pressures," he said.

"Only in Washington, D.C., would you find criticism that $15 billion is not a lot of money to save for our taxpayers, especially considering these dollars are unspent or expired, would have no impact on any beneficiary of CHIP, and would otherwise be wasted," Poliquin said.

Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall said in a letter last week that the CHIP cuts sought "would not affect outlays, or the number of individuals with insurance coverage."

Alker said his projection "is not surprising" given that the CBO expects the states to have enough money. However, she said, a recession or natural disasters could change the equation.

"The contingency fund is intended to provide states the peace of mind that if they run out of CHIP funds because of increased enrollment, the federal government will step in," Alker said.

Poliquin's office pointed out that since 1974, Democratic and Republican presidents have proposed $76 billion in cuts to federal spending through rescission. Congress approved a third of the suggested cuts. No rescission efforts have succeeded since President Bill Clinton sat in the White House.

Poliquin was among the lawmakers who approved a budget in January that included at least six more years for CHIP, something his office called "the longest and most generous extension of the CHIP program in its 20-year history."

Funding for the program is set for $21.5 billion in the 2018 fiscal year, with the figure rising each year until it reached $25.9 billion for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years.

Most experts who have weighed in think the rescission proposal is likely to pass the GOP-controlled House but may face opposition in the Senate, where Republicans have a thinner margin.

The American College of Physicians, which opposes the CHIP cuts, said it is concerned with the procedure lawmakers are using to deal with the proposed reductions.

Ana Maria Lopez, the group's president, said relying on a rushed procedure "with no hearings or testimony or markups about the impact of these cuts, as is the case for annual appropriations bills, is a poor process for Congress to establish its budgetary priorities."

Maine Democrats were critical of the proposal.

"We must do better than this," said Lucas St. Clair, one of three Democrats vying in a June 12 primary for the right to challenge Poliquin in November's general election for the 2nd District congressional seat.

"Instead of threatening health insurance for children, we need to make sure everyone -- every single person -- has access to quality health care. Congressman Poliquin is trying to take us in the wrong direction," St. Clair said Tuesday.

Craig Olson, another Democratic challenger competing in next month's congressional primary, said Poliquin "shows his true colors by beginning to balance an immoral budget by preying on the most vulnerable: children."

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a 1st District Democrat, said on Facebook that "generous tax breaks for the wealthy are being used to justify eliminating funds that, of all things, were set aside to provide children's health care and help disaster-struck communities recover. The administration's misplaced priorities couldn't be any clearer."

Pingree said she "can't believe we're wasting valuable time with this rescission package" sought by President Donald Trump.

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U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (AP file photo)

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