Titus’ star rising as Ensign struggles

By Lisa Mascaro

Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus did not win her first-choice assignment as a freshman for a seat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.

Nor does she have the clout of her two Nevada colleagues on the equally powerful Ways and Means Committee.

But last week the congresswoman who has been in office just nine months found herself sharing the stage with leaders of both influential panels as she joined them in leading House passage of a bill that will halt Medicare rate increases for seniors.

“This important legislation will protect America’s seniors from an increase in premiums at a time when too many are struggling to make ends meet,” Titus said in a statement jointly released by the committee chairmen.

“My state of Nevada has been hit hard by the economic recession as retirement savings have plummeted in value, putting a greater strain on seniors’ pocketbooks,” she said. “The combination of higher Medicare premiums and no cost-of-living adjustment is unacceptable for seniors who count on every dollar of their benefits.”

The legislation was an unprecedented, if must-pass bill, to stop the annual increase in Medicare Part B premiums.

Many seniors have their Medicare payments deducted from their Social Security checks.

With the dismal economy, Social Security is expected to forego a cost-of-living increase next year for the first time in 35 years. In other words, without the bill, there would be a pay cut for 11 million of the 42 million seniors on Medicare as premiums rise and incomes remain flat.

The bill was a crowd-pleaser. It passed in the House on a 406-18 vote, and now heads to the Senate.

The Nevada branch of AARP immediately thanked Titus for championing it.

This is the life of an up-and-coming freshman lawmaker whom party leaders want to reward (for having knocked off a Republican to win office) and protect (to ensure she wins reelection in a closely divided district).

Titus gets the good assignments.

That same afternoon Republican Sen. John Ensign was deep in debate at the Senate Finance Committee, which has been undertaking the massive health care reform proposal including some of his 30 amendments.

Ensign used the occasion to go after a complaint Republicans have over President Barack Obama’s tendency to appoint “czars” to top administrative posts rather than work through the laborious Senate confirmation process.

Democrats and Republicans over the years have made mischief of confirmations, stalling presidents’ ability to get their team in place.

What does that have to do with health care? Not much. Ensign’s amendment would ensure any czar appointed for health care would be subject to the confirmation process.

This is what you do as a member of the minority party. So much of legislative activity is about making a political statement for the party rather than passing bills.

Ensign’s Democratic colleagues were uninterested. The amendment failed.

Later Ensign offered his top-priority amendment — to cap the proposed expansion of Medicaid at 1 percent of a state’s current Medicaid budget.

This is important in Nevada, where the governor has complained that the state cannot afford to insure more poor people because it has no money. (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid secured a deal that would bring more funding for the state to help cover the poor.)

Medicaid is a cornerstone of the plan to cover the uninsured, and Republicans saw an opening to blame Democrats for saddling states with the burden.

Ensign’s Democratic colleagues remained uninterested. His amendment failed.

Only earlier did Ensign get the committee to pass an amendment on Medicare once they were told by an outside expert it would be cost-neutral.

Success in Washington has always been a bit of a dice roll — as much about you, as whom you know with power.