House, Senate clash on Medicaid expansion

The House of Delegates voted 68-32 to endorse a bipartisan state budget plan that includes a version of Medicaid expansion, with a group of Valley Republican delegates including Ben Cline and Steve Landes leading the no votes.

“Today, I voted against the proposed House budget because it includes Medicaid expansion funded by a tax increase,” said Cline, who is a candidate for the Republican congressional nomination in the Sixth District. “I could not with good conscience support expanding a broken program that will continue to balloon Virginia’s budget and occupy scarce taxpayer dollars. We must be good stewards of every penny we ask taxpayers to send to Richmond and not look to the questionable promise of uncertain taxpayer dollars from Washington, D.C.”

“Today I voted against passage of House Bills 29 and 30 for the sole reason that Medicaid expansion is not the best course for Virginia’s budget or for all our citizens young and old. Medicaid expansion is not right for the long-term fiscal health of the Commonwealth of Virginia and our citizens,” said Landes. “Every single member of the House wants to provide healthcare to our citizens. We have adopted policies and provided the necessary funding with state resources, and done so without entangling Virginia with a failed federal policy and the strings that come with it. We are now heading down a path we have not travelled before and becoming more like Washington, and moving further away from the Virginia way.”