Medicaid, Medicare reductions excluded from 2009 House budget resolution

House spares Medicaid, Medicare from decreased funding in FY 2009. Source: Lockheed Martin

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 214-210 to approve a $3.1 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget resolution that includes increases in funds for domestic programs and excludes reductions in funds for Medicare and Medicaid.

The Senate approved the resolution on June 3, according to the AP/Kansas City Star.

In February of this year, the President’s administration proposed a 2009 budget that included a $556.4 billion cut for Medicare over the next decade as well as trimming $46.7 billion from Medicaid.

According to CongressDaily, the resolution includes more than $1 trillion in discretionary spending and would provide $21 billion more in discretionary spending than requested by President George W. Bush’s administration. Veterans’ programs would receive $3.3 billion more than requested, with most of those funds allocated for healthcare.

House appropriations subcommittees plan to begin marking up the 12 appropriations bills next week, and Senate appropriations subcommittees are expected to begin the process later this month, reported CQ Today.

In related news, next week a revised supplemental war appropriations bill, that includes a one-year moratorium on some new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, will go before the House, CongressDaily reported.