If you look at Texas governor Rick Perry's record, he's been very insulting about fedrul gubment and its money. But he likes the money and has taken quite a sizeable chunk of it over the years. Now he wants more -- for Obamacare.
Politico reported Tuesday evening that Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) administration is in negotiations with the Obama White House to accept about $100 million in federal money to implement an Obamacare Medicaid program to help elderly and disabled Americans.
Perry has been a heated opponent of the health law. He refused to accept $100 billion in federal funding to expand Texas’ Medicaid program under Obamacare, which could have helped 1.5 million poor Texans afford basic health benefits. As recently as April, Perry essentially called the expansion a joke. “Seems to me April Fool’s Day is the perfect day to discuss something as foolish as Medicaid expansion, and to remind everyone that Texas will not be held hostage by the Obama administration’s attempt to force us into the fool’s errand of adding more than a million Texans to a broken system,” said Perry.
Now, Perry is seeking federal dollars for Texas’ Medicaid program anyway. ...ThinkProgress
If you step over the border into Texas, you'll hear loud cries coming from Republican politicians who want everyone to be sure they're not looking to capitulate to the fedrul gubment. This isn't like, you know, accepting Obamacare for god's sake. This is differnt. This is Texas.
Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for Perry, said none of the governor's health policy aides have been involved in negotiations with the federal government over the Affordable Care Act.
But Perry — who has consistently denounced federal health reform, refused to set up a state-run insurance exchange and resisted pressure from health advocates to expand Medicaid eligibility to cover poor adults — endorsed a bill during the last legislative session directing the state's Health and Human Services Commission to maximize federal matching funds to improve rates for attendant care.
“The bottom line is it has nothing to do with Obamacare,” Castle said. ...Texas Tribune
Yeah. Right...
