West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice (R) says he’s a “no” on the modification proposed by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to cease able-bodied adults with out dependent kids from receiving the 9-to-1 federal Medicaid matching share, a proposal that would cut back federal Medicaid spending by an extra $313 billion on high of what’s already within the GOP megabill.
Justice stated he’s frightened about political repercussions if Republicans go a lot additional in chopping Medicaid spending — revealing that Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) isn’t the one Republican senator frightened that Medicaid cuts could boomerang politically on the occasion.
“We acquired in a state of affairs the place actually our hospitals have been actually frightened,” he stated. “Loads of of us right here don’t know what a rural hospital actually is, however I do know. And I do know that in West Virginia, if we don’t be careful, you possibly can very effectively lose a bunch of rural hospitals.”
“It simply looks like we’ve taken it so far as I’m snug taking it,” he stated of Medicaid spending cuts.
“And now we’re taking it to a different stage,” he stated of Scott’s proposal to bar new enrollees into Medicaid in states that expanded this system from getting the beneficiant 90-percent federal match.
“Right here’s the factor I’m essentially the most involved about and that’s I’m hung up on retaining our majorities,” he stated.
“On the finish of all this, there’s a identify or a household, you realize. And should you don’t be careful, you’re going to alienate them, and once you alienate them, we’re going to go proper again to the minority,” he warned.
The Senate will vote on the modification as a part of its vote-a-rama, which is in its twelfth hour.
Scott has expressed confidence that his modification will cross, however Justice’s choice to vote “no” strikes a big blow to its possibilities of being adopted to President Trump’s One Massive Stunning Invoice Act.