Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R)
doubled down Monday in his opposition to expanding Medicaid under President
Obama’s healthcare law, even though opposing it could cost his state $90
billion.
At a press conference where
he was flanked by other conservatives, Perry argued expanding the health
insurance program for the poor would make
“It would benefit no one in
our state to see their taxes skyrocket and our economy crushed as our budget
crumbled under the weight of oppressive Medicaid costs,” Perry said at the state
capitol.
States can choose whether or
not to allow the federal expansion of Medicaid under the Supreme Court’s
decision last year to uphold ObamaCare.
Allowing the expansion, in
the case of
That puts Perry in a tough
spot.
While his state could use
the money, the conservative stalwart and former GOP presidential candidate has
been vocally opposed to growing Medicaid, and doing an about-face now could
damage his political brand.
Jay Root, a reporter for the
Texas Tribune who wrote a book about Perry’s last presidential run, said he
could easily return as a presidential contender in coming years.
“The conventional wisdom in
Last month at the
Conservative Political Action Conference, a venue known for hosting GOP
presidential aspirants, Perry slammed the “unlimited role of government.”
“We care about our poorest
Texans,” he said, turning to the Medicaid expansion.
“We want them to have the
best care possible, and that cannot happen with a program that is on its way to
bankruptcy.”
Perry was surrounded at
Monday’s press conference by top
Each leader slammed
Medicaid, which is run jointly by federal and state officials, as an example of
government ineptitude.
“Why in the world would we
keep expanding this flawed system, and jamming more and more people into a
program where they can’t find a doctor who will see them?” said Sen. John Cornyn
(R-Texas).
Perry’s staunch opposition
to the Medicaid expansion stand in sharp contrast to other conservative GOP
governors who have chosen to embrace the policy.
Jan Brewer (
But Perry said Monday that
those leaders will “come to rue the day, because Medicaid will take a larger and
larger share of their state budgets.”
Under the Affordable Care
Act, states are encouraged to extend eligibility in their Medicaid programs to
people living at or below 133 percent of the poverty line.
The law provides mostly
federal funding for the expansion in order to entice states to accept it.
The heat surrounding the
debate was evident Monday, as protesters who want
The group shouted “Perry,
take the money!” and other slogans in support of the expansion, distracting
attention from the Republicans’ remarks.
Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicaid/291257-perry-doubles-down-against-medicaid-expansion