Letter to the editor from Brad Ellsworth – Emergency Assistance for States Like Indiana

Dear Don,

Thank you for contacting me with your views on recently passed emergency assistance for states like Indiana. I appreciate your comments and I welcome this opportunity to share my thoughts.

As you know, states across the country are dealing with significant budget shortfalls. In Indiana alone, $300 million in education funding has been cut from the state budget, and school districts throughout the state have handed out pink slips to over 2,524 teachers and other education workers. Schools throughout Indiana inform me they anticipate laying off hundreds more in the near future. Additionally, federal assistance for state Medicaid programs are expiring, meaning states will soon cut vital health services that not only affect seniors, the disabled and those with low-incomes, but also nurses and doctors whose employers will be forced to make cuts to staff. As the economy in Indiana continues to recover from the most damaging recession in a generation, the last thing we need to do is lay off thousands of hard working professionals. For these reasons, I voted for recent legislation to provide emergency education and Medicaid funding to states. This vital funding would allow many Hoosier teachers and health care workers to continue to serve our local communities.

I am pleased to inform you this bill, H.R. 1586, is totally paid-for and will not add one dime to the deficit according to the independent Congressional Budget Office. The bill pays for these investments by repealing billions in government spending and closing offshore corporate tax loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying their fair share. These savings actually go beyond the cost of this temporary assistance, cutting the deficit by over $1 billion.

Throughout the year, state and local leaders have asked for this assistance. For instance, in February, Governor Mitch Daniels co-wrote a letter requesting an extension of the Recovery Act’s Medicaid assistance to the state, noting that this funding “would greatly assist us in maintaining services and further stabilizing the economy.” In fact, without this assistance, state leaders said they would slash funding for the CHOICE program, which allows Hoosier seniors to get less-intensive care in their homes instead of moving into a nursing home. This program served over 9,000 Hoosiers last year alone, and many of those seniors could be forced to get full-time care in a nursing home if they don’t have any part-time care options. Extending this federal assistance will also prevent across-the-board cuts expected under current conditions at hospitals and other health care providers. When the state government cuts payments to these facilities–they have no choice but to lay off doctors and nurses.

Meanwhile, I received hundreds of calls and letters from Hoosier educators, parents, and community leaders all concerned about the significant cuts to education. Many were from teachers, who had lost their jobs and told me they didn’t know how they would continue to pay their bills. Parents also wrote in concerned about increasing class sizes and its effects on their child’s education. And superintendents and principals told me this will be the most challenging school year they have experienced in years. Most disturbing to me was a Lafayette teacher who won a state award for excellence in teaching, shortly after she received a notice she would not be returning the following year due to budget cuts. The funding in H.R. 1586 will help schools retain or hire over 3,600 educators and make sure Hoosier students receive a quality education.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your views with me. If you would like to learn more about my positions on issues important to you or receive regular updates on developments in Congress, please visit my Online Office at www.ellsworth.house.gov and sign up for my e-Newsletter.

Sincerely,

Brad Ellsworth