If there’s any group of politicians who hates Trumpcare more than the congressional Democrats who shed blood, sweat, and tears to pass the Affordable Care Act, it’s governors. All the governors, not just the Democratic ones. So that makes Vice President Mike Pence’s mission Friday deservedly difficult.
Good luck with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Pence. Kasich tweeted a scathing statement, which reads in part:
The Senate plan is still unacceptable. Its cuts to Medicaid are too deep and at the same time it fails to give states the ability to innovate in order to cope with those reductions.
Take note, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.
As of last Friday, not one single governor had endorsed Trumpcare. Two Republicans, Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky and Gov. Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota, have spoken favorably about it but neither has endorsed it. Some have withheld judgement, waiting for a final product, but the majority, a "group of 30 governors, including 14 Republicans, have expressed concerns about the bill or come out in opposition." That's because of the massive Medicaid cuts in the bill. That's because it's the governors who are going to have to make the tough decisions about whether the elderly, the disabled, or the children can still have Medicaid coverage. It's the governors who are going to be taking the blame when the cuts happen. It's governors who are going to have to figure out how to continue to keep hospitals open when there isn't Medicaid money for them. It's governors who are going to have to decide what other state priorities get cut in order to keep people alive.
These governors—particularly the Republican ones like Kasich or Nevada's Brian Sandoval—can give senators all the cover they need to oppose this bill. So while you're calling your Republican senators, take the time to call your governor, too.
The end of Medicaid as we know it? No exaggeration. The Senate version of Trumpcare has worse long-term cuts to Medicaid than the House version—all to pay for tax breaks to the wealthy. Call your Republican senator at (202) 224-3121, and give them a piece of your mind. Tell us how it went.