DALLAS, TX: Et tu, Christie? New Jersey's Chris Christie is the latest Republican governor to suddenly capitulate to ObamaCare after years of rallying against the program.
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can "just say no," a stunning total of eight GOP state executives--from N.J., Fla., Mich., N. Mex, Ohio, Ariz., Nev., and N.D.--are saying yes to saddling constituents with the worst health insurance in the country, more out-of-control federal spending, and surrendering unprecedented control of their Medicaid programs--all in exchange for a federal high.
Christie and the other state governors are making the wrong move, says IPI resident scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews. "ObamaCare does nothing to fix any Medicaid’s countless problems, all made even worse by the administration’s announcement this week that states can cut Medicaid payments to health care providers in order to hold down costs."
"Why would eight Republican governors, who opposed ObamaCare, now embrace one of its worst provisions?" said Matthews. The move creates the impression that ObamaCare is not only inevitable but good policy; cedes more control of the Medicaid program--which had been largely run by states--to the federal government; fails to address Medicaid’s poor quality and lack of access to physicians; and adds even more to the federal budget deficit.
"And they are leaving the 13 or so governors who have taken a stand against expansion in a very awkward place," said Matthews.
"Dumping 16 million-plus Americans into Medicaid is the largest expansion of the welfare state since the the 1960s War on Poverty, a war we lost," said Matthews. "You don't break an addiction by putting even more people on a drug."
“Isn’t runaway deficit spending what all these Republican governors have been complaining about?" Matthews said. "Instead of becoming part of the solution by 'just saying no,' they have become part of the problem."