SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Republican state Senator from Syracuse is applauding Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch's call this week for steps to control the costs of Medicaid. Now, Senator John DeFrancisco says it's time to back up the report with action.

Ravitch wants a new director to help find ways to cut costs that now run in the neighborhood of $50 billion a year.

The lieutenant governor did warn that unless something is done, that number could jump another 25 percent higher by 2013.

DeFrancisco says Republicans in the state Senate have consistently backed Medicaid changes. He says it's time for Ravitch to get his own party on board.

"There is a leader in the Assembly by the name of Sheldon Silver, who's going to do whatever he wants and, unfortunately, he has a lot of enablers that allow him to get away with holding up things, such as this," said the senator.

DeFrancisco says until a governor is willing to stand up to Silver, the outlook for change is not good.