Bush Threatens Veto of Indian Health Care Bill

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/washington/23brfs-BUSHTHREATEN_BRF.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=washington&adxnnlx=1201097430-/rcy/7bDSrdYqtUkUG6WAw&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

January 23, 2008
National Briefing | Washington
Bush Threatens Veto of Indian Health Care Bill
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Bush administration threatened to veto Senate legislation designed to improve health care on Indian reservations, objecting to provisions involving pay and benefits for workers on some projects. The legislation would increase screening and mental health programs at the Indian Health Service, improve tribe members’ access to Medicare and Medicaid, and lead to new construction and modernization of health clinics on reservations. The bill would also require that the Davis Bacon Act, under which contractors and subcontractors must pay workers locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits, be applied to some of the projects. The administration said in a statement that the labor provision would violate longstanding administration policy.

to keep anyone from earning a decent living wage by actually working.