Key Senate and House leaders are rebelling against the administration's request to establish a commission to devise a strategy to reduce Medicaid spending by $10 billion. They are doing so by refusing to participate. Last week, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) issued the statement, "Unfortunately, the Medicaid Commission proposed by the administration falls short of the unbiased, independent advisory panel proposed by Senators [Gordon] Smith [R-Ore.] and [Jeff] Bingaman [D-N.M.]..... After careful consideration, we have decided not to exercise the opportunity to appoint a Member of Congress to participate as a non-voting member of the Leavitt Commission. Rather, we look forward to working with our colleagues to craft credible, responsible Medicaid policy through upcoming hearings and deliberations in the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in Congress." House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi is also refusing to participate, calling the cuts unwarranted and saying the commission should not decide how to achieve those cuts. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt responded last Friday by announcing that the commission would have 15 voting members appointed by him, 15 non-voting members also appointed by him, and eight non-voting members appointed by Republicans and Democrats in Congress. He plans to submit nominations to serve on the panel by June 3. The commission is supposed to issue a report by September 1 with suggestions on how to achieve the $10 billion in Medicaid reductions required under the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution. By Dec. 31, 2006, the commission must produce longer-range Medicaid reform recommendations.