Yes, they're VERY desperate to stop people from getting health insurance
by David Atkins
Those not in Virginia may have missed this story flying a little under the radar, but the Virginia GOP basically bribed a Democratic senator to resign, thus handing them control of the chamber in attempt to end-run Governor McAuliffe's threat to shut down the state government if Republicans didn't include Medicaid expansion in the state budget.
There was some question as to whether the Republicans would actually go through with the threat. Yesterday they did.
The Virginia General Assembly adopted a long-delayed state budget late Thursday, acting after an hours-long debate among newly ascendant Senate Republicans who fought among themselves over whether the plan threw up sufficient barriers to Medicaid expansion.
The Republicans, who gained control of the Senate Monday when a Democrat resigned from what had been an evenly split chamber, approved a spending deal hashed out by a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators.
But they first amended it in a way intended to make it harder to expand the federal-state healthcare program for the poor under the federal Affordable Care Act — Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s top legislative priority.
As midnight approached, the plan moved over for consideration by the House of Delegates, where it quickly passed. It was expected to then head to McAuliffe’s desk, but with no certainty that he would approve it and avert a government shutdown before July 1.
McAuliffe quickly issued a statement after the House vote: “When this budget reaches my desk I will evaluate it carefully and take the actions that I deem necessary, but this fight is far from over. This is the right thing to do for Virginia, and I will not rest until we get it done.”
The Senate vote came after Republicans huddled behind closed doors and argued — at times yelling, two participants said — over whether they should tinker with the budget deal and risk undermining it.
Keep in mind that there is no fiscal advantage to Virginia whatsoever in rejecting the Medicaid expansion. Virginia Republicans simply despise the idea that underprivileged people might get health insurance. They really do want the poor to wither and die.
It sounds harsh, but that's all there is to it. The truth should be told, unadulterated.
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