Statewide: Despite overwhelming public testimony supporting expanding BadgerCare during the public hearing process, the Legislature’s GOP-controlled budget committee, the Joint Finance Committee, again turned its back on the health care needs of their constituents by removing it from the State Budget. Wisconsin is one of only 10 states which has failed to expand its state Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, denying affordable health care to roughly 80,000 Wisconites and costing the state billions in revenue.
The Joint Finance Committee majority took this step despite the fact that their main argument against it was removed this week. GOP lawmakers have argued repeatedly during this legislative session that the push to slash Medicaid by Republicans in Congress, and cut the reimbursement rate for Medicaid Expansion states, made it unwise for Wisconsin to expand BadgerCare. But Tuesday House Speaker Mike Johnson took cutting federal funding for Medicaid Expansion off the table. Because other Medicaid cuts remain in play that could force many Wisconsinites off Medicaid and damage the state budget, potentially forcing a budget repair bill, taking Medicaid Expansion dollars would generate over $1 billion extra dollars to fill other potential holes Congress may create in Wisconsins’ critical Medicaid programs. This makes the Joint Finance Committee’s refusal to Expand BadgerCare even more headless and destructive of the public good.
Citizen Action also called on the Governor to leverage his potent constitutional power to veto the budget produced by the State Legislature to finally secure BadgerCare Expansion. “The Governor’s principle constitutional power in the budget making process is his ability to veto the budget in whole or in parts,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “When a Legislature willfully ignores public opinion and harms the interests of Wisconites on a life and death issue such as health care, a Governor’s only recourse is to force a showdown. When the people are behind a Governor, as they are overwhelmingly in the case of BadgerCare Expansion, he will prevail.”
