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WASHINGTON (AP) — Tensions have emerged at a meeting of the nation's governors over a Republican proposal for a major overhaul to Medicaid.
GOP governors intend to present Congress with a plan that they say would give states more flexibility to administer health coverage for poorer residents while protecting states from absorbing the costs of repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Democratic governors accuse their Republican counterparts of being dishonest about the effects of their plan. Washington's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, says Republicans "want to spend less money on people's health care so they can do tax cuts for the rich."
Major changes to former president Barack Obama's signature health care law appear inevitable with Republicans controlling the White House and both houses of Congress. But Inslee says there's still a chance that Democrats can win over GOP lawmakers who've been facing angry constituents at town hall meetings.
The angry rhetoric about health care reform has brought a dose of political reality to the nonpartisan National Governors' Association's winter meeting. Governors usually spend time praising each other and participating in panels on noncontroversial topics, such as early childhood education.
On Monday, the governors will meet with President Donald Trump and congressional leaders.
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