The dramatic saga of repealing and replacing Obamacare has sparked solemn infighting within the Republican Party, with conservatives opposing the Better Care Reconciliation Act’s ability to preserve Obamacare taxes, while moderates are concerned about allegedly cruel Medicaid cuts.
Vice President Mike Pence’s recent comments about wait times in Ohio have added another wrinkle to the health care debate. Pence argued last week that the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare explains why so many disabled citizens were waiting for care in the state behind “able-bodied” people who were added to the program.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who supports Medicaid expansion, responded to Pence’s comments through his spokesman John Keeling, who called the vice president’s statements “imitation news.”
“There is no connection between individuals requesting support services and the expansion of Medicaid,” Keeling said in an emailed statement. “In fact, after the expansion of the program, the governor signed into law the largest investment in the developmental disabilities system in the history of the program, $286 million. The claim that the Medicaid expansion has had a negative impact on the developmental disabilities system is false because that is simply the opposite of what has actually happened.”
The Twitter dispute became even more heated, with Pence’s spokesman, Mark Lotter, insisting his boss was right, citing “Wall Street Journal” piece that proved as much, after which Kasich’s former campaign consultant John Weaver blocked him.
Despite @JWGOP calling it imitation news (and blocking me!) @WSJ says that “nearly 60,000 Ohioans with disabilities are on waiting lists…” #RealNews
— Marc Lotter (@VPPressSec) July 14, 2017
The vote on the health care bill has been delayed as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) recovers from surgery, so debate will continue.
