Martin, who spent a week on Saipan talking with officials of the Public School System, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and health officials, said the budget reconciliation process may also be tapped by Sablan and the other lawmakers from the territories to help the CNMI, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands get more health funding.
Martin said the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Asia-Pacific American Caucus and the Black Caucus, collectively known in the U.S. Congress as the Tri-Caucus, are ready to help the American territories.
“What may happen is they may use the process called budget reconciliation. It could be an option for getting our Medicaid funding in,” she said.
The budget reconciliation process allows lawmakers to adjust appropriations for programs concerning their jurisdiction.
Martin said there are specialized rules for reconciliation which will make it an uphill battle for the CNMI to push its health agenda, but, she added, it’s not impossible.
H.R. 3200, or America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, has a provision that allows more payments to territories for their health care needs starting fiscal year 2011.
“In the House version of the health care bill, which was the one Congressman Sablan worked on, we have $200 million extra dollars for Medicaid. That averages to $20 million a year. We’re just getting $5 million now. We’re at a little bit of a standstill now. The two parties can’t agree on where to go,” said Martin.
The healthcare reform bill of the U.S. Senate didn’t include more health funding for the territories.
There are 100 senators in the U.S. Senate — 59 are Democrats and 41 Republicans.
“You need 60 votes to break a filibuster,” Martin explained. “[He’s the 41st senator [newly elected Scott Brown of Massachusetts]. Where Ted Kennedy would have voted to end debate and break the filibuster, Scott Brown would vote to let the bill die by just using the filibuster. That’s what the filibuster does, it lets the bill die.”
Martin said the territories need the support of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate during the budget reconciliation.
