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Washington Post Report: House GOP Vote to Gut Medicaid Will Play a “Major Role” in Races for Governor

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Washington Post Report: House GOP Vote to Gut Medicaid Will Play a “Major Role” in Races for Governor

Last week, The Washington Post detailed how Republican-backed cuts to Medicaid will play a “major role” in governors races in the midterms, after House Republicans running for governor (or considering a run for governor) made it abundantly clear that they won’t hesitate to sell out their states to please Trump and give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

According to the Washington Post, the GOP budget bill – which could kick nearly 14 million people off their health insurance – is already proving to be a liability for John James in Michigan, who is facing major backlash from Michiganders for his vote gut Medicaid and food assistance for millions of Americans. And James isn’t alone – Rep. Andy Biggs and potential gubernatorial candidates like Mike Lawler and Elise Stefanik are already feeling the heat for their votes to jeopardize health care for their constituents.

Read more from the Washington Post:

  • Rep. John James (R-Michigan) wants to leave the House and run for governor. Democrats hope his votes in Congress will make the latter difficult.

  • James’s opponents and Michigan Democrats have homed in on the congressman’s vote to advance President Donald Trump’s catchall bill that passed the House early Thursday, and particularly the bill’s Medicaid cuts.

  • “He says he wants my job. Well, you know what? I guarantee he doesn’t want it if he’s throwing 700,000 people off of health care in the state, running hospitals into the ground,” Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, told us, citing a study released in early May by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

  • She added, “I’m not trying to give him political advice, but the fact of the matter is, Michiganders expect and want leaders who are going to put their interests first.”

  • This is a dynamic that is likely to play out nationwide next year. With a handful of House Republicans either running for governor or seriously considering bids, Democrats believe their votes on this bill could play a major role in elections far beyond congressional campaigns next year.

  • The Democratic Governors Association issued a statement moments after the bill’s passage calling out the 10 Republicans running or considering running for governor, arguing that voters in each state “will hold them accountable for their toxic agenda at the ballot box next November.”

  • James sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which voted last week to advance the portion of the bill that made cuts to Medicaid. He then helped the bill pass the full House on Thursday morning.

  • The bill’s impact on Medicaid could be dramatic, however. The legislation could strip Medicaid coverage from 8.7 million people and lead to 7.6 million more uninsured people over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office projected.

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