Press Release

Gillibrand: House Should Return From Recess To Pass Education, Health Care Assistance For States

Aug 4, 2010

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the U.S. Senate today passed legislation that will deliver more than $2.8 billion of education and health care funding to help New York.  The legislation will provide $2.2 billion for New York’s Medicaid system and more than $607 million in education funding that should save or create an estimated 7,100 education jobs in New York.  Senator Gillibrand called on the House of Representatives to return from recess and pass the assistance immediately.

“This funding is so important to communities in New York and across the country.  I think the right thing to do would be for members of the House to briefly return to Washington so that we can send the legislation to President Obama immediately and deliver assistance to local schools and hospitals right away,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Today we overcame obstruction and delivered for New York. I want to thank Majority Leader Reid for his commitment and Senators Snowe and Collins for putting people above partisanship.”

The legislation is fully paid for and does not increase the deficit.

Since being sworn into the senate, Senator Gillibrand has aggressively fought for additional Medicaid payments for New York, delivering over $11 billion in additional funding that helped the state avoid deeper cuts to essential health care and emergency services.

New York State is still struggling with a $9.5 billion budget deficit.

The federal medical assistance percentage (or FMAP) is the federal government’s share of a state’s expenditures for most Medicaid services.