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House passes federal pass through bill

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Illinois

By Barton Lorimor Email | @bartonlorimor

* Speaker Madigan addressed the media shortly after yesterday’s vote. Video courtesy of our good friends at Blueroom Stream. His remarks begin at about the 7:00 mark…

Key quotes…

“I truly regret comments made by House Republicans where they characterize as ‘poison pills’ efforts to help women with breast cancer and children with disabilities. These are not instances where these people requested this disease or this disability. These are people that are struggling through life - women with breast cancer; children with disabilities - and House Democrats today tried to include appropriation items in the appropriation bill which would address these problems.”

“The Rauner Republicans in the House objected to appropriating state money for LIHEAP, breast and cervical cancer screenings, early interventions, Meals on Wheels and child care, but they did not object to spending state money on McCormick place.”

“You can find a lot of Republicans here in the Capitol building who will whisper to you that, `We know that we need new revenue,’ but they whisper it and look around to make sure Rauner’s not watching. I’m open and public about it.”

* I asked the Governor’s Office if the Governor, as Leader Durkin indicated on the House floor during debate, supported Amendment Three. This was their response…

The Governor supports a clean bill that allows the state to pass through federal funds without adding to the state’s budget deficit. He is pleased to see the House pass legislation that does exactly that. This bill allows the state to provide services to some of our most vulnerable citizens while we continuing working on passing much needed structural reforms and a balanced budget

* More on the bill itself…

The House-endorsed measure adds about $435 million in additional federal funds for terrorism preparedness and for spending by the Illinois State Board of Education for things such as preschool expansion and student assessments.

It also provides $166.5 million to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority from special state funds for debt service on expansion bonds. McPier, as it’s known, missed a $20.8 million monthly payment on bonds sold to bankroll a convention center expansion.

* Also yesterday…

On a 12-0 vote, a House appropriations panel endorsed legislation that would prevent the Republican chief executive from altering a scoring system used to determine whether elderly and disabled residents qualify for certain state programs.

Republicans on the panel voted “present” on the proposal.

In February, Rauner proposed changing the scoring system to make it tougher for certain seniors to receive home health care services, such as homemaker assistance. While the governor was seeking to save money with the maneuver, opponents argued his plan would result in an estimated 24,000 senior citizens losing in-home care services.

Another 15,000 people with disabilities would lose their state assistance, Democrats said.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:50 am

Comments

I truly regret that Madigan chose to play games with this bill.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:02 pm
Rauner Republicans? Madigan’s M inions? They should all be ashamed.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:04 pm
The utter disappointment of the GOP GA members knows no bounds.

===On a 12-0 vote, a House appropriations panel endorsed legislation that would prevent the Republican chief executive from altering a scoring system used to determine whether elderly and disabled residents qualify for certain state programs.

Republicans on the panel voted “present” on the proposal.===

Either stand up and realize what time it is, or just vote Raunerite and stop pretending being a coward is also being “thoughtful”

It’s not being thoughtful, it’s knowing you’re owned, and your vote now and for the foreseeable future, won’t be yours.

===“You can find a lot of Republicans here in the Capitol building who will whisper to you that, `We know that we need new revenue,’ but they whisper it and look around to make sure Rauner’s not watching. I’m open and public about it.”===

This.

Autonomy means having a spine and being honest, not worrying what you say might cause you a $&@#% problem.

Rauner?

“…while we continuing working on passing much needed structural reforms and a balanced budget.”

Translation?

“We’re not done with holding hostages”

Have Goldberg get 71 and 36 on all that anti-Union language, then get back to us.

Bruce Rauner has failed.

No budget
No complete state labor piece
No significant legislative agenda and seeing that total agenda passed.

No ownership… of the Office’s responsibilities after buying the job title he coveted.

Yep. Bruce Rauner has failed, just as Candidate Rauner explained all that Pat Quinn owned, because, welp, governors own. They always do.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:05 pm
Broken records are just that. Broken. Even when played in an echo chamber. Repeating something like a parrot does not make it true, Messr Madigan. It is plain to see who chose to play games on this and tried taking advantage.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:27 pm, we haven’t heard an original thought out of second floor for months. Both are playing games. The losers are the people needing services.

I’m with Cullerton’s idea of doing a reset.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:32 pm
===I’m with Cullerton’s idea of doing a reset.===

You know I do too, - Norseman -, I do too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:33 pm
Madigan is right, why would they call helping women with breast cancer and disabled children a
“poison pill”? Is it because most of those republicans are men and don’t have a disabled child of if they do have a disabled child, they don’t have to worry about it because they have plenty of money to meet the child’s needs? Its too bad some of them aren’t in regular citizens shoes and see how they like the cuts. they need to start doing what they are paid to do, work for their constituents.

Comment by Challengerrt Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:53 pm
More “present” votes. If you are against it vote no. Grow a pair already.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 1:02 pm
Everyone except Madigan seems to be missing a very, very important point — most of these programs require a partnership with the State. We don’t get federal funds unless we spend state dollars. The House attempted to be honest about this and pass a bill that would actually get us federal funding.

Rauner and the GOP are playing games. It’s fictional to believe the feds won’t insist we spend the money we’re required to spend.

Comment by ugh Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 1:11 pm
Some of these GOP members in the legislature don’t deserve their pay. They offer no new ideas to move forward and they don’t vote for or against anything. They are just wasting time because apparently that Governor, whose checks they are cashing, has told them to do just that. The people in their District have no representation, they don’t represent their constituents, they do what the Governor tells them to do. The new administration took over in January and here we are halfway through August and we’re losing ground, not making progress. Blaming the previous administration doesn’t cut it, it’s no better than when Obama kept blaming Bush after he became President.

Comment by The Dude Abides Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 1:36 pm
One point here is that, if Rauner is given a bill that includes GRF funding for human services, he has to wear the jacket for deciding which services to provide or cut.
So he decides to hide behind the GOP members and fight off additional funding.
He threatens a veto instead of an amendatory veto.
And the GOP members cower and let Rauner use them like pawns.
They are indeed the politicians that Rauner controls.

Comment by Faux Leadership Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 1:44 pm
ugh, tell that to the senate democrats, not rauner.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 2:55 pm
Good to see Madigan behaving like an adult with allowing the fed funds bill to pass cleanly. Sure, he scored some political points while doing so, but in the end, Illinois doesn’t risk losing federal dollars.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 4:53 pm
Is ugh right about the need for contributing state funds to free up the federal money. I see that asserted here periodically and I don’t see anyone denying it. If it’s true, the “clean” bill doesn’t do anything. And no matter the facts of that, holding the needy hostage is immoral and that’s on the Republicans.

Comment by JackD Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 6:57 pm
==I’m with Cullerton’s idea of doing a reset.==

I’m with you as well.

This may have been that reset opportunity, but there is no telling yet how Speaker Madigan’s actions may have now distracted from that opportunity. Maybe they can find another one like this one soon.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 7:50 pm