Bush administration manipulates info

Breeze Reader's View

When the U.S. Congress passed the controversial Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act in December, it was after being reassured by the Congressional Budget Office that the costs of the bill would not exceed $400 billion over 10 years.

Robert Foster, an actuary for the Department of Health and Humans Services who is responsible for estimating the costs of Medicare programs, recently has revealed that, contrary to the Congressional Budget Office estimates, the bill is likely to cost the federal government around $534 billion. He also said that the Department of Health and Human Services, an office under the executive branch of government, knew the bill would cost between $500 and $600 billion as far back as June, but was ordered not to reveal his estimates by Medicare administrator Thomas Scully, being told that to do so could result in the loss of his job.

Withholding this information from Congress most likely led to the Medicare bill being passed by the slim vote of 220 to 215 — 13 of the representatives who voted for the bill said they would vote against it if it exceeded $400 billion — and represents a direct manipulation of Congress by outside agencies.

To promote the bill, the government has initiated an advertising campaign that will cost $130 million over the next three years and includes publishing fliers and brochures — all of which have been criticized for not telling the whole truth about the bill. The campaign also includes the production of several promotional videos.

These videos were filmed using actors and a prepared script by the Department of Health and Human Services. They were passed off as legitimate video news releases that were distributed to 33 television news stations around the country, some of which aired them before the tapes were discovered to be staged.

In the videos, an actor playing a reporter does a voice-over describing the Medicare bill in a way that, according to the General Accounting Office — the investigative office of Congress — contains "notable omissions and other weaknesses" while images of President George W. Bush signing the bill amid a cheering Congress are shown on the screen.

While government agencies have produced news releases in the past, law forbids the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes." The Department of Health and Human Services claims that it distributed the videos in order to inform Medicare recipients of changes in policy, but the segments do little to explain what changes were made or how they affect beneficiaries.

Instead, these videos represent a direct attempt by federal agencies to manipulate the press and promote an unpopular bill. The GAO is looking into the matter to determine if the distribution of these videos was illegal, but regardless, it is extremely unethical and a dangerous precedent to set.

In a nation that holds the sanctity of the press in so high a regard, this manipulation should be all but impossible. But, in response to the GAO investigation, Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Kevin Keane said, "The use of video news releases is a common, routine practice in government and the private sector. Anyone who has questions about this practice needs to do some research on modern public information tools."

Keane's statement not only attempts to justify government distribution of propaganda, but also implies that this is not nearly an isolated incident.

The dangers of a government and administration this willing to deceive Congress and the American people are clear. If these practices are allowed to continue, or go unpunished, it will provide the federal government with permission to manipulate lawmakers and public sentiment to whatever ends the current administration desires and destroy not only the sanctity of the press, but ultimately the republican system of government.

Alex Sirney is a freshman SMAD/anthropology major