Governors resist added federal expenses on health

BILOXI, Miss.: Many of the nation's governors have said they don't want Congress to force states to pick up extra expenses, from health care to national security.

Democrats and Republicans attending the summer convention of the National Governors Association said state budgets are already strained by recession. Governors meet twice yearly to seek bipartisan consensus on issues affecting their states, including federal mandates for shared programs such as the Medicaid health insurance program for the needy. Only 25 governors attended the weekend meeting as some stayed home to tackle budgets.

During discussions about health care, several governors said they worry federal legislation could push billions of dollars in new expenses on their states for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the needy.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, said he believes some officials have ``noble goals'' of expanding coverage to more people who are currently uninsured. But he said Congress should not pass legislation that force states to pick up extra expenses.

"If we're asked to pick up on state increased costs in health care, it's going to take away from ... environment, transportation, education, public safety, all the other things that we as states do,'' Perdue said.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, said too much of the discussion in Congress now is about the cost of health care. "If we're not also talking about how do we get better, higher quality health care to the people of this nation, I think we lose them in the process,'' he said.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he likes President Barack Obama's plan to use public and private options for health care, but he worries Congress will dilute the plan and pass billions in new expenses on to states.

``We can't afford that, and that's not acceptable,'' Richardson said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told governors to prepare in case there's a resurgence of swine flu in the nation this fall. She said state leaders should talk to education officials about preventing the disease's spread among children and being ready for schools to offer continued learning at home if they are forced to temporarily close.

Obama has said US swine flu vaccinations could begin in October with children among the first to receive them.

-AP