>Christie may cut Medicaid as $10.5 billion New Jersey budget deficit looms
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gives his first State of the State speech tomorrow after saying he may cut Medicaid and employee benefits to eliminate a $10.5 billion budget deficit in the second-wealthiest U.S. state.
Christie, who took office a year ago, said he’ll tell lawmakers in his address that New Jersey remains in a financial crisis and they need to maintain fiscal controls as employment and revenue recover slowly from the longest recession since the 1930s. The Medicaid program “is one of the things we’re going to have to look at,” Christie said in a Jan. 4 interview.
The 48-year-old chief executive joined 28 other Republican governors asking President Barack Obama and congressional leaders last week for permission to reduce Medicaid outlays below federally prescribed levels. New Jersey budgeted $3.1 billion for Medicaid in the fiscal year ending June 30 and was scheduled to receive $1.1 billion in federal stimulus funding, according to the Treasury Department. (Dopp, Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-10/christie-may-cut-medicaid-as-10-5-billion-new-jersey-budget-deficit-looms.html
