White House won't let adviser testify on Medicare drug costs

[54anickel]

Shrub sure likes the sound of "executive privlege". Must be the lastest new phrase he's learned. Yep, I'm sure allowing this testimony could greatly endanger our national security. :eyes:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/8323159.htm

WASHINGTON - Citing executive privilege, the White House refused to allow President Bush's chief health-policy adviser, Douglas Badger, to testify Thursday before the House Ways and Means Committee about early administration estimates that the new Medicare prescription-drug benefit would be far more costly than many lawmakers believed when they voted for it.

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said the decision not to let Badger testify was justified by the longstanding principle that exempts assistants to the president from testifying before Congress.

Executive privilege, while not mentioned specifically in the Constitution, has been recognized by the Supreme Court as necessary to, as Duffy put it, "preserve the White House's ability to get the best information possible and to speak candidly."

Until Bush yielded on Tuesday, his administration used the same argument to keep National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice from testifying publicly before the commission investigating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

more...

[IndianaGreen]

1. Who is that Medicare actuarial that was threatened if he went public?

Knight Ridder reported on March 11 that former Medicare administrator Thomas Scully threatened to fire his chief actuary, Richard Foster, if Foster shared the far higher estimate with members of Congress. The alleged firing threat, which Scully contends was not serious, sparked sharp bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, editorial writers and interest groups, as did the administration's effort to keep the higher cost figure out of the congressional debate. Lawmakers in prior years had free access to Foster's estimates.

It was Richard Foster, a civil servant, who said Medicare was going to cost up to $600B, about 200B more than the CBO's estimates.

I now hear rumors that Foster's boss, Tom Scully, is going to the private sector to work for a big health care provider that will be a big beneficiary of the new Medicare bill.

This is the sort of sordid business that is so common to the Bush/Cheney Administration. Congress should bring this sleaze bag to the carpet and, if any laws were broken, he should be prosecuted.

[No Mandate Here.]

2. He's essentially told us all along...

...that we aren't smart enough to be concerned with little stuff like this, and his obscene energy policy, and ... and... and...

[dweller]

3. Here you go again n/t

[pinto]

4. see also:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x456157

[Moderator]

5. Dupe

Please continue discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x456145