SENATE REPUBLICANS SUSTAIN LEPAGE VETO, DENY HEALTHCARE TO 70,000 MAINERS
AUGUSTA—In a 22-13 vote, Senate Republicans sustained Governor Paul LePage’s veto of a Republican-sponsored compromise measure to accept federal funds to provide healthcare to 70,000 Mainers, including 3,000 veterans. Overriding vetoes requires two-thirds, or 24 Senate votes.
“Today, some Republicans engaged in a partisan stand-off,” said Senator John Cleveland of Auburn. “This was a reasonable compromise where we found common ground. But today, too many Republicans chose party line politics.”
The veto was sustained even after the Appropriations Committee unanimously recommended a bipartisan budget proposal that funds DHHS waitlist services for people with disabilities, addressing a key argument Governor LePage and his allies have used to oppose health care expansion.
“It’s a sad day for the State of Maine when 70,000 people are denied health care. This is a sensible bill that addressed many of the barriers preventing our colleagues from accepting expansion, including managed care, a sunset provision, and increased fraud investigators,” said Democratic Senator Margaret Craven of Lewiston. “Despite these changes, most of our Republican colleagues still would not support this compromise bill. ”
According to an evaluation by Harvard and the City University of New York, Maine could save around 157 lives per year by accepting federal funds.
The bill sponsored by Republican Senators Roger Katz of Augusta and Tom Saviello of Wilton would have accepted the federal funds for expansion for the three years the federal government pays 100% of the cost. Additionally, the compromise proposal created a managed care plan in an effort to lower program costs.
According to analysis from the state’s non-partisan fiscal office, the compromise measure would have saved $3.4 million in the state’s budget in the first year alone,
“This was indeed a compromise bill, and a great example of what we could achieve when we work together,” said Democratic Senator Geoff Gratwick of Bangor, a practicing physician. “It is unfortunate providing health care to our friends and neighbors and family members is such a partisan issue. It didn’t have to be this way and it shouldn’t be this way.”
Twelve Republican governors have accepted expansion for their states. Last month, New Hampshire became the 27th state to expand health care, leaving Maine the only state in New England that has not accepted health care expansion.
“As someone who has government-sponsored health care, it’s hard to stand before hard working Mainers who are without health care,” said Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson of Allagash. “If it’s okay for me, why isn’t it okay for them? They work just as hard as I do. It just doesn’t make sense that there are lawmakers standing here today who are denying healthcare to others.”
The bill, LD 1487 “An Act to Provide Fiscal Predictability to the MaineCare Program and Health Security to Maine People,” is now dead.
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