By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said he’s still reviewing the Republican’s latest health care proposal that would cut Medicaid spending by nearly $800 billion.
LaHood told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn he believes some states like Illinois are taking Medicaid dollars for cases that shouldn’t apply.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Patti’s interview with LaHood on WJBC.
“Medicaid was originally intended for poor women and children and people with disabilities and it should be for that,” LaHood said. “That’s exactly what we should be spending it on, but I think here’s a little bit of frustration now that able-bodies working men now qualify for Medicaid.”
LaHood cited the example of someone getting a physical paid for through Medicaid just after bonding out of jail.
The Congressional Budget Office reports the Senate GOP health-care bill would leave 22 million more people uninsured by 2026.
Old mines
LaHood wants to allow private dollars a chance to revitalize the nation’s abandoned mines so they can be used for recreational areas. LaHood said there’s a hurdle keeping private foundations from renovating abandoned mines across the nation.
“The reason why they haven’t been able to do that in the past is sometimes there is a liability associated with those abandoned mines,” he said. “These mines have been long abandoned.”
His bill, introduced last week, would lift some of the liability on these charitable organizations. He says this will allow them to repurpose the areas for hunting, fishing and other activities.
LaHood’s bill, introduced last week, would lift some of the liability on these charitable organizations.
“If you are a third party group and you want to come in and take over that land if you meet certain criteria, you’ll be able to do that,” he said.
Technical education
Congress has reauthorized a program that helps foster job training and apprenticeships.
LaHood said the measure allows federal dollars to flow to community colleges to focus on how to train students for careers that are in high demand, including nursing and welding.
“We have a real need for that and this allows business, contractors, the trades people to partner up together,” LaHood said.
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act came within days of President Trump ordering doubling the money made available for apprenticeship programs.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
Illinois Radio Network contributed to this report.
