A House Republican snapped at a Democratic lawmaker Friday morning during the healthcare debate, after the Democrat implied that the GOP doesn’t care about poor people who need Medicaid.
Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., made that accusation at a House Rules Committee hearing on the latest version of the GOP bill to partially repeal and replace Obamacare. At the Friday morning hearing, Hastings pressed Republicans on whether they’re comfortable reducing access to Medicaid under the bill they hope to pass today.
But Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said he rejects the “insinuation that we don’t care about people on Medicaid.”
“I’m offended by that. I reject that,” he said, adding that he worked to expand access to Medicaid in Oregon.
“Then tell me about the $800 billion that’s being taken out of Medicaid when in fact, all we had to do was leave the taxes that are here for very wealthy people …” Hastings said.
“I’m gonna try and bring the tone down here …” Walden said.
“I’m not going to bring my tone down,” Hastings shouted back. “I’m mad as hell about what you all are doing, and I don’t have to be nice to nobody when you’re being nasty to poor people.”
Walden explained that he doesn’t believe in the Congressional Budget Office score that says 14 million fewer people would have access to Medicaid under the GOP bill. Other conservatives say they doubt that number, because it incorrectly assumes Medicaid expansion would continue under Obamacare if nothing changed.
Walden said CBO has been wildly off its projections of coverage under Obamacare generally. And, he said CBO didn’t anticipate so many people not wanting to buy coverage under Obamacare.
“Six-point-five million paid the IRS penalty of six or seven hundred dollars, saying ‘I don’t want that product,'” he said.
