It?s about time that someone in Washington got serious about this:

Congressional budget makers agreed to follow a recommendation by the nation’s governors and cut at least $8.6 billion in Medicaid spending next year, a rare move because Congress usually is leery of touching entitlement spending programs.

Sen. Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Republican, and Rep. Jim Nussle, Iowa Republican, head of their respective bodies’ budget committees, said in a brief bicameral conference meeting yesterday that before a final budget bill is crafted, the proposed $2.6 trillion fiscal year 2006 budget must reflect a commitment to entitlement cuts.

“Our goal will be to pass a bill that addresses the major issues: controlling the growth of entitlement spending, which represents 59 percent of the budget … controlling the growth in discretionary spending and having reasonable enforcement of our limits,” Mr. Gregg said.

One interesting fact about this proposal is that it originated from the National Governors? Association, under the leadership of Democratic Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia, who may be aspiring to national office.