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 Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Chris Christie of New Jersey,
Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Texas Governor Rick Perry, all
staunch opponents of President Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care
Act, have collectively applied for and won at least $352 million
through grant programs set up by the law, federal records show.
The action is at odds with the public stance of all four potential
candidates, who have blasted the law as an unprecedented expansion
of government and called for its repeal.
Aides told Reuters they saw no contradiction in applying for these
grants while criticizing the law as a whole.
"It's critically important that we continue these services for our
citizens," said Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick. "Receiving
federal grants that existed prior to the ACA is not the same as
participating in the core elements of the ACA."
The money in question stems from less controversial parts of the law
that enhance public health and other nuts-and-bolts programs, rather
than the insurance exchanges and expansion of the Medicaid program
for the poor that have drawn fierce opposition from Republicans.
Some of these programs were established by Obamacare, while others
had existed in other forms and were expanded by the law. (Graphic:
http://reut.rs/1FewtGN)
For example, the law included $1.5 billion to enable medical workers
to visit new mothers at home. The money has enabled some states to
set up programs where none had existed and allowed others to expand
existing programs. Wisconsin has more than doubled its home-visit
program under Obamacare, according to state documents.
It's not clear whether the Republican governors now considering
running for the White House would protect these programs if they won
the November 2016 presidential election.
Aides to Walker, Christie and Perry either declined to comment or
didn't respond. A Jindal aide said these programs would work better
if states were given more discretion over how to spend federal
money.
UNITED IN OPPOSITION
Republicans have been united in their opposition to the healthcare
reform since it passed Congress with only Democratic votes five
years ago, and many potential presidential candidates are eager to
demonstrate their anti-Obamacare bona fides.
Walker has called the law an "abysmal failure" and Perry has blasted
it as an "abomination." Christie called it a "failure" and Jindal
told a gathering of conservative activists in February that "we must
repeal every single word of Obamacare."
Walker, Perry and Jindal also supported a legal challenge that fell
short of striking down the law in 2012 but enabled states to opt out
of the Medicaid expansion.
Still, Republican governors have to balance their opposition to the
law with their obligation to look after the needs of their states.
The federal government accounts for nearly one in three dollars of
state revenue, and the Affordable Care Act has been an important
source of much of that money in recent years. It provides $10
billion for public health and $425 million to train nurses and other
health-care workers.
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The money isn't handed out automatically: state governments,
hospitals and other organizations have to apply for it.
"There's a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to some Republicans and
Obamacare," said Greg Valliere, a nonpartisan political adviser to
Wall Street clients. "As my father used to say: 'Do as I say, not as
I do.'"
Walker's administration has accepted at least $69 million through
Affordable Care Act grant programs, according to a Reuters analysis
- a figure that does not include programs that the U.S. Health and
Human Services Department says existed before the law took effect.
It also excludes grants that went to state universities or other
entities not directly under Walker's control.
During that period, Walker returned $38 million that his Democratic
predecessor had secured to set up a state-based insurance exchange,
and turned away hundreds of millions of dollars to help expand
Medicaid. He expanded the state's own Medicaid program to cover more
residents without federal money, in part by moving 80,000
participants onto private insurance plans subsidized by Obamacare.
In Louisiana, Jindal's administration has accepted $60 million in
Obamacare grants while refusing to expand Medicaid and set up a
state exchange. "Most of these grant funds are used for state
initiatives that existed long before Obamacare ever became law,"
Jindal spokesman Mike Reed said.
In Texas, Perry took in at least $148 million in Obamacare grants
while refusing money tied to the insurance exchange and the Medicaid
expansion. He stepped down as governor in January.
"Governor Perry has long called for flexibility from the federal
government so the states can implement health care programs in the
best interests of their citizens," spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said.
In New Jersey, Christie has not set up an exchange but has accepted
the Medicaid expansion on the grounds that it will help low-income
residents and hospitals in his state. His administration has secured
at least $75 million in grant money, on top of the additional
Medicaid dollars.
"The governor has said he will make decisions with respect to the
law that are in the best interest of New Jerseyans," spokesman Kevin
Roberts said.
(Additional reporting by Luciana Lopez, editing by Ross Colvin)
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