The cliched end of session story starts like this: "The legislative session ground to a halt today as tempers flared and battle lines were drawn."
On Saturday, that cliche was apt.
The battle lines Saturday involved a fight over whether to pull down federal cash, made available through the federal health overhaul, to cover more poor Minnesotans on subsidized health care. "Obamacare" Republicans dismissively called it; hypocrites Democrats called Republicans.
The hypocritical part was because, as DFLers delighted in pointing out, "In May 2009, Representative Steve Gottwalt had an amendment to create an optional medical assistance eligibility category for childless adults under 100% of federal poverty guidelines as a replacement for the GAMC program."
And here is a sign of the the flared tempers, caught by Hot Disher Baird Helgeson, in an exchange between Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, and Gottwalt, R-St. Cloud.
Thissen: You guys have the amendment right there you should look at it
Gottwalt: This one here was actually your amendment. Our goal was to expand...
Thissen: No, it isn't. "Gottwalt." That's the amendment right there.
Gottwalt: ...to expand ...
Thissen: No, look at it.
Gottwalt: and to privatize.
Thissen: No, it is not to privatize. You can read it right there.... That is not to privatize.
Gottwalt: This was your amendment and it was ruled not germane.
Thissen: But I also put it on and you all voted for it the day before so...
Gottwalt: That's end of session politics and you know it
Here's the amendment from Gottwalt on 5/18/09:
"The commissioner shall seek approval for a federal waiver from the secretary of health and human services to create an optional medical assistance eligibility category of childless adults as a replacement for the general assistance medical care program. The optional category shall have a benefit set limited to those services described in subdivision 4. As part of the waiver application, the commissioner shall determine whether the complete elimination of state funding for general assistance medical care would result in higher costs for the federal Medicare program. As part of the waiver application, the commissioner may also consider the savings to the federal government due to state health care services provided to a similar population under section 256L.07, subdivision 6. Individuals and households with no children who have gross family incomes that are equal to or less than 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines shall be eligible for childless adult medical assistance effective July 1, 2010, or upon federal approval, whichever is later."
