City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 10, 2014
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RASHAD M. YOUNG, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Update on the 2014 General Assembly Session (Final).
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ISSUE: Update on the 2014 General Assembly Session (Final).
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive this report.
DISCUSSION: The 2014 General Assembly adjourned on March 8 without approving a budget for the next biennium (beginning July 1), or amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year. Among the amendments that were under consideration for the current fiscal year's budget was an allocation of $1 million to assist the City in its work on CSO issues.
The House and Senate do not appear to be making progress on finding common ground or compromise for some form of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. As noted in earlier Updates, the Senate has proposed private health insurance for those who would have been covered under Medicaid expansion, but the House claims that this is nothing other than "Obamacare" by another name. Those who listen to the House and Senate floor proceedings have witnessed dozens of speeches over the past several weeks by proponents and opponents of expanded health care. The Governor is visiting hospitals and health care facilities to demonstrate the need for more health care and the financial losses that hospitals project if expansion does not occur. The House Republican caucus is putting out press releases on a regular basis, citing the tremendous assets of hospitals and the high salaries paid to hospital administrators.
The House is asking that the Senate agree to a "clean" (i.e., without expanded health care) budget bill-now. The Senate, aware of the fact that they will have no way to pressure the house on expanded health care if they agree to a "clean" budget,...
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