This evening, Senate Democrats criticized Speaker Howell’s ruling that Gov. McAuliffe’s line-item veto of the Stanley amendment was out of order.
The Stanley amendment makes it impossible for Virginia to close the coverage gap without a vote by the full General Assembly. By ruling the governor’s veto out of order, the Speaker denied it an up-or-down vote in the legislature.
Said Caucus Chair Sen. Donald McEachin (D – Henrico), “Speaker Howell’s transparently partisan decree means legislators never even got to vote on Gov. McAuliffe’s veto. Instead of letting legislators do their job, he took matters into his own hands and prevented the fair debate that Virginians expect and deserve. This is not the Virginia way — it’s the kind of hyper-partisan obstruction that voters expect from Washington. All Virginians deserve better — especially the countless uninsured families whom House Republicans refuse to help.”
Said Democratic Leader Sen. Dick Saslaw (D – Fairfax), “There are many Republican governors who are expanding Medicaid, but once again, the obstinacy of House Republicans means that up to 400,000 uninsured Virginians — most from working families — still don’t have access to quality, affordable health care. It’s unfortunate that House Republicans can’t acknowledge that people need health care. The House of Delegates sees no
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