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Renacci Votes for Trumpcare, What Do DeWine, Husted, and Taylor Think?

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Rep. Renacci votes for health care bill, other GOP OH-GOV candidates radio silent

Today, GOP Ohio gubernatorial candidate Rep. Jim Renacci voted in favor for Trumpcare. While the congressman has long been an advocate for the bill, his likely primary opponents, Attorney General Mike DeWine, Sec. of State Jon Husted and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, still won’t take stance on the issue that will define the midterm elections.
The law is projected to kick 24 million Americans off their insurance, cut $880 billion in Medicaid funding, raise premiums for older Americans and threaten protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
If passed, governors will be left to deal with the gap in Medicaid funding, and will have the option to waive protections for pre-existing conditions. Starting in 2019, governors will have the option to see waivers that allow insurance companies to dramatically raise premiums on people with pre-existing conditions.
In Ohio alone, an estimated 654,000 will lose coverage. Current Ohio Gov. John Kasich is one of the most vocal Republican critics of the health care proposal.
“While there have been some modest changes to this bill, it still remains woefully short on the necessary resources to maintain health care for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Kasich in a statement today.
“Now that we know Jim Renacci is all in on Trumpcare, it’s time for Husted, Taylor, DeWine to tell Ohio voters where they stand,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “Governor Kasich spoke up against this bill, but three of the Republicans running to replace him remain silent. Voters deserve to know if they support a bill that threatens the health care of thousands of Ohio families.”

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Background:
Akron Beacon Journal Editorial: Taylor, DeWine, and Husted “Have Kept Their Distance” on Health Care Bill.  According a Akron Beach Free Journal, “Give Jim Renacci credit. He is out front in the debate. The others seeking the Republican nomination for governor, Mary Taylor, Mike DeWine and Jon Husted, have kept their distance. What the CNN interview reinforced is that Renacci and other House Republicans would put protection for preexisting conditions at risk, or step back toward a more dysfunctional health care market that left so many without adequate health coverage.” [Akron Beacon Journal, Editorial, 5/3/17]
March 2017: DeWine Claimed He “Never Knew Much” About Trump’s Heath Care Plan. According to WFMJ, “Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine was in Warren on Friday and tells 21 News that while he never knew much about President Donald Trump’s proposed health care plan, he’s always been in favor of getting rid of the Affordable Care Act. In plain and simple terms Attorney General DeWine feels America’s current healthcare system is broken. He says Obamacare is on a crash cart and is ready to flat line.” [WFMJ, 3/26/17] 
March 2017: Taylor’s Spokesman Said the Lt. Gov. “Wants to Take More Time with this Issue Before She Comments.” According to Politico, “Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor’s Spokesman Michael Duchesne: “The Lt. Governor wants to take some more time with this issue before she comments. She’s a thoughtful, policy-oriented person and doesn’t want to just throw out a sound bite. I’m sure this is going to be topical for awhile and we’d love to have another opportunity to weigh in on the future.” [Politico, 3/9/17]
March 2017: Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted: “The Medicaid expansion obviously has a big impact in Ohio … It’s also true that Medicaid expansion in Ohio is unsustainable and if we are going to make it sustainable then we need the federal government to give us the freedom to do so and that means on how we manage everything from eligibility to copays to prescription drug costs. … What we need them to do is get them to send us the money and give us the freedom to serve as many people as we can as efficiently as we can and then get out of our way.” [Politico, 3/9/17]
Republican Gov. John Kasich Opposed the House Republican Repeal of Obamacare: “I’m Not for it.” According to the Washington Examiner, “Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Friday that he’s opposed to the House Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, and said the GOP should be working with Democrats as they work to change federal healthcare policy. Kasich, the Republican governor who expanded the Medicaid program under Obamacare, said Republicans were ‘jamming something through that’s going to take health coverage away from millions of people.’ ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they pass something, but I’m not for it,’ he said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington.” [Washington Examiner, 4/28/17]