State Told it Can Opt Out of Medicaid Expansion at Anytime

Steve Morgan

Rick Katzenberg

All 13 NH Republican State Senators rejected Medicaid Expansion effectively blocking health care for tens of thousands of NH working poor.  Plus, $2.5 billion dollars of NH tax money will go to another state; NH would lose $422M in this biennium budget; 5,000 new jobs over 7 years would not be created.

In Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, one of ObamaCare’s harshest critics, forced her legislature to accept Medicaid Expansion by threatening to veto any legislation until they voted “YES!”.  After 5 vetoes the Legislature finally acquiesced. Here in moderate NH 13 State Senators are holding the working poor hostage.  What is it that Governor Brewer understands that our 13 Republican Senators don’t?

At a meeting in Milford 2 weeks ago, Senator Peter Bragdon, NH State Senate President, stated that he would be favorably disposed to encourage passage of this bill if he were assured that NH could opt out if the Federal Government reneged. Sen Bragdon stated that the Republican Caucus’s opposition to Expansion was not based on ideology.  They just wanted written assurances that the Federal Government would deliver on their commitment.

Well now they have it. On June 13 the Federal Government sent a letter to NH with the assurances that Senator Bragdon had requested including the US Supreme Court language in its ruling on the voluntary nature of Medicaid Expansion.

We strongly urge Senator Bragdon to follow through on his statements of two weeks ago and use his leadership in the Republican Caucus.  It only takes two Republican Senators to vote for Medicaid Expansion and health care for NH’s working poor becomes a reality.