Government
Big defeat for HHS spending bill
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 5, 2005
Twenty-two Republicans last month crossed party lines and helped defeat a bill to fund the Health and Human Services Dept. for fiscal 2006.
While reasons behind the opposition to the spending measure varied, several lawmakers complained about the level of proposed cuts to rural health care services. At least one dissenting Republican voted against the bill because a provision to move up by a year the 2007 ban on Medicare coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs would have opened up federal contracts with drug makers to lawsuits.
GOP leadership aides said the House would reconsider its options on the spending bill when Congress returns from its Thanksgiving recess. In the meantime, health care programs under HHS continue to be funded at fiscal year 2005 levels.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/12/05/gvbf1205.htm.
