Mediaboss Marketing

The Congressional Budget Office estimates twenty-two million fewer people would be insured by 2026 under the GOP's proposed health care plan. USA TODAY

WASHINGTON Ohio Gov. John Kasich ripped Senate Republicans on Tuesday for crafting a health care bill that would cause an estimated 22 million Americans to lose their health insurance.

They think thats great? Thats good public policy? an incredulous Kasich said at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday. What, are you kidding me?

Kasich was referring to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which estimated that the Senate GOP bill to repeal and replace Obamacare would increase the ranks of the uninsured by 22 million by2026, compared to current law.

Hours after Kasich's remarks, Senate Republican leaders decided to delaya vote on their bill, essentially conceding they did not have enough GOP supportto pass it.Five Republicans were already on the record opposing the bill, while several others were uncommitted.

That left Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,well short of the 51 yes votes he needed to get the bill through the Senate this weekas he had initially hoped. McConnell said Tuesday that he now hopes to hold a Senate vote on a revamped bill after lawmakers return from their July Fourthrecess.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, was publicly undecided on the bill until Tuesday, whenhe announced his opposition after McConnell agreed to yank it from consideration. Portman said he was "committed to continue talking with my colleagues about how we can fix the serious problems in our health care system while protecting Ohios most vulnerable citizens.

Portman has expressed concerns thatthe GOP plan, as currently written, would hurt Ohios low-income residents and undermine the states efforts to expand addiction treatment amid the currentopioid epidemic. He has pressed McConnell to add $45 billion for opioid treatment over 10 years, as a way to cushion the bill's changes to Medicaid, which has become a lifeline for addicts seeking treatment.

Kasich urged Portman not to support the bill even if McConnell agrees to beef up funding for opioid treatment, because that would not be enough to make up for the GOP bill's proposed cuts to federal Medicaid funding.

"I told him if they hand you a few billion dollars on opioids ... thats like spitting in the ocean," Kasich said. "I've talked to Rob a million times. He knows exactly what my concerns are."

Kasich has made his opposition to the GOP bill clear before, but Tuesday he ratcheted up his criticism at a joint news conference with ColoradoDemocratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Kasich said congressional Republicans should try getting their own health care through Medicaid or purchasing insurance with the miserly subsidies the GOP plan offers.

Why dont we have those folks go and live under Medicaid for a while? Kasich said. Why dont we have them go live on their exchange where they can get two, three, four thousanddollars a year to cover their health care exchange costs.

Kasich didnt reserve all his ire for his own party. He also blasted lawmakers of all stripes for acting like a bunch of fifth-graders.

We have a health care civil war going on, he said. Its all about recrimination.

He said Republicans should jettison their current bill and start over, while Democrats should stand and challenge the Republicans to negotiate with them.

Democrats have said they would work with Republicans to fix Obamacare if they stop their efforts to repeal or gut the law.

Read more:

Senate health care bill would lead to 22 million more uninsured, CBO says

Health care bill winners (wealthy) and losers (Medicaid recipients), according to the CBO

Senate GOP leaders face growing opposition to health care bill

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2tSWBae

Originally posted here:
John Kasich on Senate Republicans' health care bill: 'Are you kidding me?' - USA TODAY