6 governors lead bipartisan charge against Senate health care bill
6 governors lead bipartisan charge against Senate health care bill
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In today's political climate, it's rare to find bipartisanship. But as President Donald Trump calls on Senate Republicans to pass a bill that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, governors — Republican and Democratic are unified in opposition.
The Senate health care bill would cut Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade, leaving millions of low-income people uninsured in states where Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act.
The governors from states that took advantage of the Medicaid expansion have worked together in writing letters, holding teleconferences with reporters and hosting private meetings with members of Congress. Some have called for no repeal, others a more measured approach.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D)
Medicaid expansion: 2014
Coloradans covered since expansion: 421,111
Impact: Before Medicaid expansion in 2014, more than 14 percent of Coloradans were uninsured. That number is now about 6 percent, according to the nonpartisan Colorado Health Institute. Expansion has benefited many people who live in rural counties along the state's southern border.
Political future: Hickenlooper's term ends in 2018 and in recent months he's been asked on several occasions if he plans to run for president in 2020. He said he'll wait and see.
The former Denver mayor could also run for a Senate seat in 2020, challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner.
