Letter: Hurricane bill wasteful spending

Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005 | 10:59 a.m.

Like all Americans, I was horrified by the images of the death and destruction suffered by our neighbors in the Gulf Coast, and I recognize and embrace the federal government's responsibility to commit the resources necessary to provide adequate relief to those who have lost so much. But our obligation doesn't end there. It extends to all Americans and to future generations, whose tax dollars fund these relief efforts.

The proposed bill that was the topic of the editorial, introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Max Baucus, would unnecessarily spend more than $9 billion to expand Medicaid dramatically. States such as North Dakota, Wisconsin and Vermont, despite receiving very few hurricane evacuees, would be handed a combined $53 million. This is taxpayer money.

My colleagues and I were elected to ensure that the federal government responds to those in need, and anyone who has seen the ravages of hurricanes Katrina and Rita understands the obligation we have to those Americans whose homes, jobs and lives were shattered by the storms.

But this particular bill is more an example of wasteful big government spending than compassionate action for people in need. It unnecessarily establishes an entirely new Medicaid entitlement even though we already have a waiver system in place for hurricane survivors, for example.

Congress has set aside $62 billion for hurricane relief. The bill in question would unnecessarily add $9 billion to that amount. This approach fails to take into consideration the important fact that of that $62 billion, $40 billion remains unspent. Heaping billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars in the name of compassion is not compassionate. It is wasteful and irresponsible.

John Ensign Editor's note: The writer is a U.S. senator from Nevada.