Medicaid is proving to be one of the toughest sticking points for Republicans in their bumbling efforts to repeal Obamacare (forget about replace—they're still fighting repeal) as the hard-liners in the House continue to push for straight repeal and the end of Medicaid expansion. Thirty-one states accepted the Medicaid expansion, many with Republican governors. Those Republicans are panicking about the revenue they could lose, and the prospect of figuring out how to pay for taking care of the millions who'd be cut off. They've got Republican governors, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Ohio's John Kasich, trying to figure it out, getting something they can agree on and then have the White House and Congress follow them.
The discussions underscore another key point: While President Donald Trump promises to soon unveil his own health care plan, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are drafting the bill—while the Republican governors are likely to be the driving force behind the major entitlement reform over Medicaid coverage. […]
At the center of the talks are four governors who have taken different approaches to Medicaid: Walker and Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee, whose states did not expand Medicaid under the law; and two governors from states that did: Kasich and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. The discussions are likely to continue at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington this week, and as Kasich privately meets later this week with Trump at the White House.
Walker is there to represent the maniacal interests of the Freedom Caucus types—if he can agree to something, they figure he can bring along the crazies. But they've got a bigger problem than getting the House on board. They've also got to get the Senate. Even if they manage to use the trick of budget reconciliation and need just 51 votes—a legislative challenge under the rules—they are going to have a hard time getting enough Republican support.
Witness Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and the promises she's making:
Murkowski, in her annual address to the Alaska Legislature, told lawmakers that she would not vote to repeal the expanded Medicaid health care program — a key component of the health law — as long as the Legislature wants to keep it.
Murkowski said she was concerned about the long-term cost of the expanded Medicaid program. But she said it had also strengthened Alaska's Native health care system and reduced the number of uninsured people visiting emergency rooms.
"So as long as this Legislature wants to keep the expansion, Alaska should have that option," Murkowski said. "So I will not vote to repeal it."
By the way, she added, "I, for one, do not believe that Planned Parenthood has any place in our deliberations on the Affordable Care Act." Counting on Murkowski to stand up to her Republican leadership is a questionable bet, but she's unlikely to be alone this time around. Susan Collins (R-ME) is likely to stick with her—she's still eyeing the governor's race in Maine and can't win with the Paul LePage coalition, so will have to draw enough votes from the left. There are only two arguably vulnerable GOP senators (so far) running for re-election in 2018—Nevada's Dean Heller and Arizona's Jeff Flake. Both states took the Medicaid expansion, and both states have a lot to lose. As do their senators.