Applause for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer
Barb ShellyWords I never thought I’d find myself writing: Jan Brewer is my hero of the day.
Yes, that Jan Brewer. The Republican governor of Arizona whose signature is on the harsh immigration bill that was partly the work of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The same Jan Brewer who was photographed shaking her finger at President Barack Obama on a tarmac of the Phoenix airport.
Jan Brewer is my hero, at least for today, because she has the common sense and courage to support an expansion of Medicaid as called for in the Affordable Care Act.
Though certainly no fan of “Obamacare,” Brewer hit all the right points Monday in her state-of-the-state address. Federal money to provide health care for thousands of low-income Arizonans will pour about $2 billion into the state’s economy. The money is on the table and if her state doesn’t take it, other states will. Uninsured patients cost everybody money. And, like it or not, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land.
Brewer not only stood up to many in her own party by taking the money, she came through with a good idea.
Many Republicans worry that the federal government might renege on its pledge to pay 100 percent of the cost of state’ Medicaid expansions for three years, and never less than 90 percent going forward.
This seems a bit manufactured. Washington’s inclination when it comes to Medicaid has been to expand, not retrench. But Brewer proposed writing a “circuit breaker” into state law, enabling the state to shrink Medicaid enrollment if federal subsidies are reduced.
Very ingenious. Brewer’s support for the expansion, and her circuit breaker idea, could prove inspirational with other Republican governors. Maybe even one Sam Brownback of Kansas.
The Arizona governor even showed a flash of humor in her speech. “We cannot wag our finger at the federal government,” she said, in an obvious reference to her weird airport encounter with Obama. “Trust me, I tried that once.”
Phil Cardarella
4 months, 1 week agoSadly, we have to HOPE that the Kansas Governor and Missouri Legislature will be as sensible as Gov. Brewer.
Mere sanity is such a low bar.
George Hunsucker
Northland
4 months, 1 week agoBrewer is proving to be just another politician unfortunately….
She will have you libs praising her today for doing such a stupid thing and then bitching at her tomorrow on her immigration stance.
Luckily, KS and MO will not be taking this long-term expense on. We have to hope all these people move to IL which of course is bankrupt, but perfectly willing to take on more long-term costs. Stupid is as stupid does….
Robert Copher
4 months, 1 week agoGeorge, you are dilusional. The states that aren’t setting up the exchange, YET, will do so as soon as they see it isn’t going away and be behind everyone else. Keep hanging on to your idea the libs are all stupid. And the world will continue to move forward without you. Unfortunately is was greed that motivated her to cooperate and not concern for constituants. So I’m still concerned that she has an ulterior motive to get her hands on the money and then divert it elsewhere due to her superiority complex. Seems like this agreement came with a wink of the eye. We will see.
George Hunsucker
Northland
4 months, 1 week agoRobert,
the feds will set-up the exchanges if the states choose not to. Setting up exchanges has NOTHING to do with expanding the Medicaid pool. You need to get educated on zero care young man…..
Matt Henry
4 months, 1 week agoThe issue is not who will or who won’t do what based on their intentions. It is who will be capable in a few more years. What in heaven’s name do proponents of all of this stuff not understand about $16.4t in debt and trillions more per year for years to come?
I surely don’t think liberals are dumb but I do think they are naive and without any sense of imagination as to what three years down the road might bring. Sure, the feds have always looked to expand everything. The question is, of course, how long they will be able to do just that.
As for finger wagging, it says a lot about what we think of President Made-a-Poopie that that moment still has a engram of our memory…