NC Senate to Gov. Pat: We have final word on ObamaCare. (And that word is NO.)

 

 

 

The North Carolina Senate voted Monday to block expansion of Medicaid — a key component to the implementation of ObamaCare in NC. The move put the Republican majority in the General Assembly’s upper chamber at odds with the state’s new Republican governor.  

Of course, The N&O “reported” on the matter with its usual bed-wetting lefty hysteria:

[…] Despite last-minute objections from Gov. Pat McCrory, the Republican-led state Senate pushed through legislation Monday evening that will prevent nearly 650,000 residents from getting health insurance and block the state from establishing a health care exchange.

The GOP supermajority used the 31-17 vote to send a message to the federal government that it wants no part of the health care law signed by President Barack Obama, even as other states led by Republicans are accepting the money. […]

Mr. John Frank, the author of the creative writing cited above, neglects to mention that the Senate’s move aligns North Carolina with 27 other states in opposing the implementation of ObamaCare.   You see, John, there are 50 U.S. states.  A total of 28 states are fighting the implementation of this bureaucratic and economic nightmare.  Twenty-eight is more than HALF of  these United States.  So, that means the Senate action you are bad-mouthing is actually in the majority — nationwide —  on this issue. 

Mr. Frank is also a wee bit dishonest in suggesting that the vote keeps 650,000 North Carolinians from obtaining health insurance.  The vote doesn’t do a thing to keep folks from obtaining jobs where employers provide health insurance.  The vote DOES put a monkey-wrench into the Obama administration’s efforts to take a little more control of our lives.  It also helps slow our state economy’s slide further into the red.  

I was heartened by the Senate’s last-minute strengthening of the bill.  Here is the initial language from Section 3 of the Senate bill:

“The General Assembly reserves the authority to determine whether or not to expand the State’s Medicaid eligibility under the Medicaid expansion provided in the Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended, but for which the enforcement was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in National Federation of Independent Business, et al. v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al., 132 S. Ct. 2566 (2012). No department, agency, or institution of this State shall attempt to expand the Medicaid eligibility tandards provided in S.L. 2011-145, as amended, or elsewhere in State law, unless directed to do so by the General Assembly.”

And HERE is the amended language:

“The State will not expand the State’s Medicaid eligibility under the Medicaid expansion provided in the Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended, for which the enforcement was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in National Federation of Independent Business, et al. v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al., 132 S. Ct. 2566 (2012). No department, agency, or institution of this State shall attempt to expand the Medicaid eligibility standards provided in S.L. 2011-145, as amended, or elsewhere in State law, unless directed to do so by the General Assembly.”

The ball is now in the court of  state House leadership and Gov. Pat McCrory.  McCrory was not overwhelmingly elected in November so that he could roll over and play dead for Barack Hussein Obama.   The state House majority was not strengthened in November so they could play ball on this power grab from DC.  The voters demanded leadership in state government to protect us from the DC leviathan.

The Senate has provided that leadership.  Now, it’s time for the House and the governor to follow their lead.