Today, by a vote of 247-161 along party lines, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $26.1 billion bill which will support thousands of education jobs nationwide and help states fund Medicaid budgets. The bill allocates $555 million to support 9,200 education jobs in Florida and $784 million in additional federal funding to support Medicaid programs in the state.
The U.S. Senate passed the bill last Thursday by a vote of 61-39. Tuesday night, the President signed the bill into law.
Following the vote, Gov. Charlie Crist said in a statement that, “Today’s action by the United States House of Representatives will certainly help us continue caring for vulnerable Floridians in need and make certain our children have the resources they need to remain competitive and successful. I am confident these additional resources will help ensure the health of men, women and children, as well as the vitality of the Sunshine State students.”
Republicans who opposed the bill called it another bail out for the states, although objective observers have said that the relief was essential if lay offs of more workers–teachers, policemen, fire-fighters, sanitation workers and other public sector employees–and more cuts in services and further tax increases were to be avoided.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill passed in the House today reduces the deficit by $1.3 billion over ten years and is paid for through offsets, including cuts to food stamps and the closing of corporate tax loopholes.
