The matinee sign of Madison’s old RKO Orpheum Theater / DJ Pangburn
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in his stubborn adherence to extremist politics, has decided to turn down
$37 million in federal grants to do the start-up work on establishing a health insurance exchange for Wisconsin under the Affordable Care Act.
Walker announced in December that Wisconsin would not pursue implementing the exchange until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the law. But he did not say whether the state would take the money.
On Wednesday Walker said he was notifying the federal government that Wisconsin was turning down the Early Innovator Grant, saying it didn't make sense to commit to reforms that could have a devastating economic impact.
"Stopping the encroachment of ObamaCare in our state, which has the potential to have a devastating impact on Wisconsin's economy, is a top priority. Wisconsin has been a leader and innovator in health care reform for two decades, and we have achieved a high level of health insurance coverage without federal mandates," Walker said in a statement.
As Kossack Keith Pickering highlights in his diary, the American Cancer Society blasted Walker for ignoring reality, and for refusing to explore a "robust, consumer-friendly health exchange designed specifically for Wisconsin [that] would greatly expand access to care to those who need it most, while preserving what already works."
They could also blast him for not being particularly bright. Yes, the Supreme Court might strike down the law, but that's unlikely. Walker is betting that either the Court will strike down the law, which is possible but at this point doesn't look likely, or that there will be a Republican White House and Senate to repeal it, not a safe bet. In the very probable event that the law does stand, Walker will have completely defeated his own purpose of "stopping the encroachment of Obamacare" in Wisconsin, because the federal government will step in to set up the exchange for the state.
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