Coburn writing his own budget, Sebelius helps Dems refine Medicare message

Sen. Tom Coburn is writing his own budget, which he started before leaving the "gang of six" talks on deficit reduction. Meanwhile, HHS Sec. Sebelius is helping Democrats refine their message on the GOP budget.

Roll Call: Coburn Writing Own Budget
After taking a "sabbatical" from the "gang of six" talks on deficit reduction, Sen. Tom Coburn is writing his own budget blueprint that will aggressively tackle entitlements. "I'm working hard on my plan," the Oklahoma Republican said Thursday, adding that he and his staff have been working on it for about six days — before he walked out on the bipartisan group of Senators. "I want everybody to shoot at it and tell me why it won't work," Coburn said (Dennis, 5/19).

The Hill: Coburn Bill Stops Short Of House GOP On Medicaid Cuts
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced a Medicaid bill Thursday that would leave certain benefits intact while converting most of the program's federal funding into grants for states. Although Medicare has taken up most of the political debate over healthcare entitlements, Republicans in both chambers have also taken aim at Medicaid. The program is currently funded through a fixed ratio of state and federal money (Baker, 5/19).

Politico: Sebelius Steps Into Politico Fray
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius went to Capitol Hill Thursday to help Democrats refine their message on the House Republican budget: It's going to cut seniors benefits today. It counters the message Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has tried to convey about his plan. He argues that his budget would preserve Medicare for those over age 55. As the Senate prepares to vote next week on the House budget that has defined the Medicare fight, both sides are trying to argue that their plan protects today's grandma and grandpa (Haberkorn, 5/19).