Alexander says he’ll vote to keep DCS employees

While Tennessee’s Republican Congressmen voted against a bill that would have saved 160 state workers’ jobs, the state’s two GOP Senators say they will vote to save them.

Sen. Bob Corker said earlier this week he would be voting for delaying a federal rule change that is costing the state $73 million in funds for state case managers working with children in state custody or care.

Now, Sen. Lamar Alexander’s office is publicly saying the senator will be voting to delay the rule change’s implementation, which if successful could save 160 Department of Children’s Services jobs, as well as two others that would negatively affect Tennessee.

“Sen. Alexander has serious concerns with three of the seven new Medicaid rules and the effect these rules would have on Tennessee,” said Lee Pitts, Alexander’s spokesman. “The senator supports entitlement reform, but he believes the manner in which the (Bush) Administration has gone about making these changes is troubling.”

“Sen. Alexander will oppose these three rules changes and work with Sen. Corker and Gov. Bredesen to ensure that TennCare receives the federal dollars necessary to care for Tennesseans in need.”

Last month, the U.S. House passed a bill imposing a moratorium on the rule change, one of seven affecting Medicaid funding. The state’s four Congressional Republicans voted with the Bush administration and against the delay while four of the five Democrats voted for the delay. U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) wasn’t there for the vote but said he would have voted with the Democrats.

The issue will be coming up in the Senate next.

The Bush administration is trying to cut federal spending on Medicaid, whose costs are split between the states and Washington.