NASHVILLE — Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey states in gubernatorial campaign ads that he won’t shrink from giving the federal government “the boot” when necessary.
In the meantime, the Blountville lawmaker and other Senate Republicans are depending on Uncle Sam to foot part of the bill for their alternative to Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen’s latest budget proposal.
The Senate Republican plan assumes the Democratic-controlled Congress will approve a six-month extension of federal matching fund rates for Medicaid programs such as TennCare.
If Congress extends the more favorable match rates, Tennessee would received an additional $341 million to address budget issues, according to Bredesen administration estimates. The higher Medicaid matching rates were approved last year as part of the federal stimulus package.
As the General Assembly moves into its final weeks, the Senate GOP budget plan attempts to avoid Gov. Bredesen’s proposed tax and fee increases. Their goal would be assisted by using about $120 million of the federal funds to pay for a new Safety Department communications system and driver’s license computer system instead of issuing bonds as proposed by Gov. Bredesen.