Just one “no” vote away from falling short yet again in their so far failed efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Senate Republicans received another blow on Thursday, this time from a Republican governor in a swing state.
In remarks to CNN, GOP Governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada said he is “greatly concerned” about the citizens in his state who are now covered under Medicaid because of Obamacare, because the new version of Trumpcare is likely to decimate the program.
“They are living healthier and happier lives as a result of their receiving coverage, and for them to lose that at this point would be very hurtful for them,” Sandoval said of those covered under the Medicaid expansion. “And it’s about people – this is about people. And 210,000 people in my state.”
Despite what many GOP senators have said, the Nevada governor added that the new version of the Republican health plan “isn’t that much different than its previous iteration,” which is why he continues to oppose it.
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According to the CBO score of the earlier version of Trumpcare, more than 20 million Americans would lose health insurance, Medicaid would face nearly $800 billion in cuts, and individuals would no longer be able to count on essential health benefits Obamacare currently guarantees.
That goes without evening mentioning the fact that up to 27,700 more Americans will die in the year 2026 as a result of the potential new law.
As CNN also noted on Thursday, Gov. Sandoval’s opposition to Trumpcare is critical “because Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller has closely tied his own vote to the state’s popular governor’s stance.”
In other words, if Sandoval is against the revised legislation, it’s likely that Sen. Heller will also oppose it.
With Republicans just one “no” vote away from again seeing their deathcare hopes vanish, the Nevada governor’s fierce opposition to the new version of Trumpcare could signal that the end is very near for this bill.
That’s good news for millions of Americans.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
