Roberts: The sickening reason why Doug Ducey supports Graham-Cassidy
Laurie Roberts: Arizona's governor jumped to endorse Graham-Cassidy not because it's good for Arizona (it's not) but because it's good for his political career.
Laurie Roberts
We now know why Gov. Doug Ducey leaped to support the Graham-Cassidy health-care bill without waiting for any analysis of what the bill would actually do.
Without waiting for the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office to estimate how many Americans would lose their health insurance.
Without waiting for his own administration to estimate how many Arizonans would be kicked to the health-care curb.
Without waiting for any analysis of the impact on Arizona’s health-care industry, which represents 20 percent of the state's economy.
He certainly didn’t call on the Senate to pass Graham-Cassidy by the end of the month because it was good for Arizona.
Six words explain Ducey's support
Arizona would lose a startling $11 billion by 2026, with our share of federal funding for healthcare going to states like Texas and Utah and Wisconsin, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Avalere Health, a Washington-based health policy consulting firm.
Nope. Not good at all for Arizona. But exceedingly good for an ambitious politician who has set his sights on higher office.
Six words explain why Ducey sold his own state down the river:
Because Donald Trump asked him to.
The president called Ducey on Saturday to talk about the bill, an obvious attempt to get Sen. John McCain on board. (As if McCain really listens to Doug Ducey.)
Ducey’s spokesman, Daniel Scarpinato, wouldn’t disclose specifics of the phone call with Trump but he confirmed to The Republic’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez that they talked health care.
"They shared their mutual desire to repeal Obamacare," Scarpinato said. "They're both business people and are committed to action in the proper direction, and the president is someone, from the governor's perspective, with high expectations, and a sense of urgency.”
Ducey can't say he wasn't warned
So naturally, Ducey urgently jumped to do Trump’s bidding. On Monday, he endorsed Graham-Cassidy, tweeting “Congress has 12 days to say ‘yes’ to Graham-Cassidy. It’s time for them to get the job done."
On Wednesday, Ducey acknowledged that the bill will penalize Arizona. But he still wants it passed next week.
“Obamacare is a failure,” he told Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer. “It’s time for it to go.”
Never mind the dire warnings about Senate GOP leaders' replacement bill, Graham-Cassidy, issued Wednesday by Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.
“This proposal erodes critical protections for patients and consumers, and would lead to costlier premiums for many individuals – especially those with pre-existing conditions," Greg Vigdor, AzHHA president and CEO said in a prepared statement. “Millions would lose coverage altogether …
“Just as troubling is all we don’t know about this bill. Because of the frenzied fashion in which it is being considered, Congress lacks even the most rudimentary analysis necessary to make an informed decision. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has indicated it won’t even have time to ‘score’ the bill in terms of its impacts to patient coverage and federal finances.”
Ducey, however, pooh poohs such warnings, telling Fischer, “We know how to do things in the state of Arizona.”
Yeah, like how to blatantly ignore the best interests of the state in a order to callously advance the best interests of the state’s governor.
For shame, Gov. Ducey. For. Shame.
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McCain should listen to himself, not Ducey, on health care