Watch out Medicaid Kiddies!

Apparently W's promises on resources for the bird flu pandemic:

Researchers here at the NIH have developed a vaccine based on the current strain of the avian flu virus; the vaccine is already in clinical trials. And I am asking that the Congress fund $1.2 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services to purchase enough doses of this vaccine from manufacturers to vaccinate 20 million people.

Has run into a little problem called Congressional Republicans:

Conservative Republicans in the House insisted that an emergency U.S. effort to stockpile vaccines and anti-viral drugs that could be effective against the deadly flu would have to be paid for by cutting other government programs. (emphasis added)

We all know that this doesn't mean the payments to Halliburton and other BOTVP (buddies of the vice president), but kiddies on Medicaid, food stamps and student loans. (School lunches too).

And our local Republican Congressman was in on the act:

Congressional Republicans, with the last minute support of Maryland Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, passed a devastating array of spending cuts early this morning.

“This bill will have disastrous consequences for Maryland’s middle class and working families,” says Lierman. “The House Republican leadership, with Wayne Gilchrest’s decisive support, has forced deep and unnecessary cuts to some of our nation’s most important programs.”

For students, the passage of the bill will mean reversing a previous law capping the interest rates for student loans at 6.8 percent, increasing the cap to 8.25 percent. The bill also includes a massive cut in federal funding for student financial aid.