We summarily sent out word when Mike Johanns’ plans were thwarted after voting to fire 1,000 Nebraska teachers. Nebraskans have dodged another bullet sent by the senator, this time it would have cost the state $1.2 million.
Senator Johanns recently offered an amendment to a small jobs bill that would have amended a section in the health care law. Under the auspices of protecting small businesses, Johanns proposed to eliminate 1099 filing requirements and make up the lost revenue by gutting funding for preventative health care.
We got the numbers today on what that would have cost Nebraskans: $1.2 million dollars. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved funding for preventative programs through the health care law for 94 projects in the US.
If Johanns’s amendment had passed, that funding would be gone, and Nebraska would be left looking for another $1.2 million when we already face a budget shortfall of $750 million. We are waiting for Heineman to draw the same conclusion and thank Senator Nelson for passing health reform. But, we won’t hold our breath.
Action:
Show Senator Johanns that Nebraskans are watching and that we support funding preventative health care. Head over to his facebook page and comment on one of his posts about the 1099 amendment he offered. Tell him that Nebraskans like preventative care, and his amendment would have put us $1.2 million in the hole.
