Ohio Gov. John Kasich called for Republican Senate leaders to scrap their healthcare reform bill and work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution.
“This bill is unacceptable to me,” Kasich said during a press conference at the National Press Club Tuesday alongside Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat. “This can be done and should be done, not in a partisan way but in a bipartisan way,” he added.
Kasich blasted the healthcare draft bill that was announced last week, singling out the planned cuts for Medicaid in the bill.
“The amount of funding putting into Medicaid is even less than what the House had,” the former Republican presidential candidate said.
Kasich added that the Senate bill includes less flexibility for states to take on the burden of more Medicaid spending because of less federal funding. He pointed out that the House bill would let states block pharmaceutical companies from placing high-priced drugs on their lists of approved drugs.
Kasich then responded to questions that conservatives don’t want to add money to Medicaid.
“I’m a conservative. I’ve balanced more budgets than any of these people who criticize me,” he said.
Kasich said he doesn’t oppose some parts of the Senate bill, including the move to per capita caps or block grants after the Medicaid expansion is phased out. However, the question is if the bill provides enough funding.
“The resources to fund this system are simply not there,” he said.
Democrats say they are willing to support fixes to Obamacare but have resisted any bill that would repeal the law.
Republicans have countered that Democrats are not willing to work with them on the bill.
