Report says Bush administration broke no laws in withholding Medicare cost

[Kadie]

Report says Bush administration broke no laws in withholding Medicare costs

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press


Last Updated: July 6, 2004, 08:16:00 PM PDT


WASHINGTON (AP) - Bush administration officials broke no laws in withholding from Congress estimates of the cost of the new Medicare law, says an internal investigation made public Tuesday.

The Health and Human Services Department inspector general, the agency's internal watchdog, said its three-month investigation found that administration officials used aggressive tactics to keep from Congress its much higher estimates of the legislation's cost - $100 billion more than the president and other officials were acknowledging.

Yet the effort - including threats by Thomas Scully, the administration's Medicare chief until December, to fire chief Medicare actuary Richard Foster - did not violate federal law, the inspector general said.

Scully, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "has the final authority to determine the flow of information to Congress," the unsigned report said.

more... http://www.modbee.com/24hour/politics/story/1478442p-8913994c.html


:grr:

[Spinzonner]

1. Solution

require all information coming from the Administration to be under oath.

Its burdensome and ugly but when you're dealing with congenital liars what alternative is there ?

[jobycom]

2. Notice how this gets picked up ONLY when Bush is "cleared"

Not back when the accusation was made. So most people find out there was a contraversy at the same time they find out Bush was cleared of it. And they'll never give it another moment's thought.

[faithnotgreed]

10. you are right on with that. great point

[Trajan]

3. Lies are ok ....

Sounds like FAUX news ....

[fearnobush]

4. What about the meat of this artical? As expected: the last paragraph...

"There seems to be a cloud over this department because of this. We have nothing to hide, so I want to make darn sure everything comes out," Thompson said then.

But since then, he has refused to release the documents in question. House Democrats have sued for the documents in federal court and The Associated Press, which sought the same materials under the Freedom of Information Act, has appealed the withholding of 149 pages out of 162 pages that the agency acknowledges are responsive to its request.

[tlcandie]

11. LoL .. Withholding 149 pages out of 162?!? LOL ..

:wow:

[Beearewhyain]

5. If this is the case, does it conjure for anyone else the cliche

"There ought to be a law"? :mad:

[Citizen Daryl]

6. "no controlling authority" n/t

[Cha]

7. Maybe ..no law against it...but it's sneaky and

low down and typical of the bush administration and one day they are going to have to pay for their back alley behavior.

[The Zanti Regent]

8. All the Nazi Republican Party does is lie!

Lie about WMDs

Lie about Clinton

Lie about Hillary

Lie about the deficit

SO why should we be surprised when they lie about the cost of the Pill Bill?

Don't worry, after the election, they will repeal the Pill Bill to cut spending!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Spinzonner]

12. We dont have time for that

Let's just count the ones he's obeyed

[GoBlue]

13. Excuse me, Mr General Inspector but this is BS

Scully "...has the final authority to determine the flow of information to Congress," the unsigned report said.

The Secretary of Health and Human services serves at the pleasure of Congress and Mr. Scully serves at his pleasure. Congress has the right to all relevant information. What a frigging White Wash.

[cthrumatrix]

14. cheat, steal, deceive, mislead, withold.........all part of the puppet's

experience in office....a loser and a thief.

[mbperrin]

15. Gee, once again, someone investigates themselves,

and finds NOTHING! How refreshing! Usually these self-hating government types launch all types of charges against themselves, fining themselves, prosecuting themselves. This is a really nice change.

And I have got to stop snorting Oxy this early!

[keithyboy]

16. It's not the law but the "ethics" and "integrity" of the matter.

Lying and deceiving the public is the charge and all America should know about it.

[cthrumatrix]

17. bingo.... people don't trust these crooks