Health Care Reform: Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona Persuades Enough Republican Legislators to Do the Right Thing on Medicaid Expansion
Mary K. Reinhart, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Alia Beard Rau and Mary Jo Pitzl:
Arizona House approves Medicaid expansion, $8.8 billion budget: Five months after Gov. Jan Brewer vowed to expand Medicaid, a bipartisan Arizona House coalition voted early today to approve her high-stakes proposal, along with a budget that gives significant new funding to education and child welfare. The mostly 33-27 votes followed nine hours of debate and vitriolic speeches by conservative Republicans, who lashed out at fellow GOP members and Brewer for teaming with Democrats to steamroll them to approve a key piece of the federal health-care overhaul and the governor's top legislative priority….
House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, and the rest of House leadership joined conservatives to oppose the 2014 budget, offer more than 50 amendments and hours of speeches in an effort to kill Medicaid expansion and wear down what has become a rock solid 33-member bipartisan group. The voting, which wrapped up about 3:40 a.m. in a special session called by Brewer late Tuesday, sends the bills to the Senate, which plans to vote on them this morning. A bipartisan Senate coalition pushed through identical bills Wednesday evening, in less than half the time…. Conservative GOP members, stripped of control in a special session abruptly called without their consent or even their knowledge, offered hours of blistering floor speeches. That could make it a challenge to come back together and sweep up the final bills of the regular session. “I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut,” said Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria. “And I feel like I’ve been betrayed.”…
During hours of debate Wednesday on 10 identical budget bills, frustrated conservatives railed against their GOP governor and colleagues, saying they were ashamed to be Arizona legislators and branding the power play by Brewer, 14 Republicans and the Democrats the darkest day in state politics. “I have never once ever been ashamed of what we’ve done in this body. I’ve disagreed, but I’ve never been ashamed,” said Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert. “But I can tell you this process, from the governor on down, is an embarrassment… This is not policy making, this is dictating.” But stoic coalition members stuck together through hours of speeches Wednesday, rarely responding to Republicans’ demands for answers.
Shortly before 2 a.m., Rep. Debbie McCune Davis, D-Phoenix, offered the first full-throated defense of the proposal. She dedicated her vote to the late Msgr. Edward Ryle, a lobbyist for the Catholic Diocese who worked to establish the state’s Medicaid program. “We have proven over the last 20 years that the system works,” McCune Davis said. “There are incentives to reduce costs and to keep people healthy. The experience has been good for providers and patients, and that’s well documented… I wonder if people really understand the system that we have in place in Arizona.”…
Late Wednesday, frustrated with months of delay, Brewer again pressured lawmakers to act. “Majority,” the governor said in a statement. “That word has meaning in our republic. I trust that over the next 24 hours or so, a majority of the House and Senate will put an end to the games.”…
Brewer rankled many in her party by calling aspecial session Tuesday evening, bypassing leaders in her own party who called the move disrespectful, reckless and “less than what was expected of her and more than should be tolerated.” The governor’s move came after House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, had adjourned the lower chamber until Thursday, stalling the efforts of the bipartisan House coalition to pass Brewer’s 2014 budget and Medicaid expansion…. Brewer went around him. “I think it’s pretty bad for a Republican governor to call a special around majority leadership,” Tobin said earlier Wednesday. “We all recognize we have to govern, and clearly it’s late. But this is a huge decision on Medicaid and I believe that I was making sure that the process was going to move forward — both sides wanted their Medicaid fight.”…
Carter said the bipartisan group that came together over Medicaid and education funding only became stronger as pressure mounted on Republicans to cave. “We have a cohesive, incredible group that is focused on the priorities of Arizona, which No. 1, is presenting a balanced budget that is constitutionally required,” Carter said. “This year that includes a decision about what we do with our Medicaid population.”
