Robert Bentley, lawmakers head to DC ahead of health care vote

1
7
Robert Bentley

Gov. Robert Bentley and other state leaders are starting the week in Washington, D.C. ahead of the expected House vote on the American Health Care Act.

Joining Bentley are state House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, state Sens. Greg Reed and Tripp Pittman, and Alabama Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar.

During the trip, the officials plan to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price as well as congressional leaders to discuss the potential impact the Republican-backed bill, as well as the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, could have on Alabama’s Medicaid system.

“As a Physician and as Alabama’s Governor, I have stood in opposition to the Affordable Care Act from day one. It’s not about health care of patients, and it’s certainly anything but affordable,” Bentley said in a statement Monday. “Alabama stood strong against the expansion of Medicaid because we simply cannot afford it. Now that a Repeal of the ACA appears imminent, we want to insure Alabama’s Medicaid system will be supported, and states given broad flexibility in any efforts to replace this unworkable and expensive law. We want to insure Alabama’s needs are known and clearly understood before a vote takes place.”

Tuesday, Bentley and the officials plan to meet with members of the Alabama congressional delegation as well as White House administrators before returning Tuesday evening.

“We have a strong Alabama team in Congress, and we have stayed in close contact throughout the effort to pass a new healthcare law,” Bentley said. “One size does not fit all when it comes to sovereign states and their needs. I am confident our Alabama delegation will always do what’s in the best interest of our people.”

The trip follows a series of meetings between Bentley and other non-expansion state governors and the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee addressing states’ concerns with the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

1 COMMENT

  1. If the allegations against Mr Bentley are true, I would expect him to be charged and summarily dismissed.

Comments are closed.