Despite the GOP Party Platform and the will of the Oklahoma citizens being squarely against the expansio of Medicaid the majority of Republicans voted with the liberal Democrats to push HB 2803 into Conference Committee. The federal money might coming in hand for a couple of years but eventually the state is left holding the bag for ALL of the expense of adding tens of thousands to the Medicaid rolls.
Had Oklahoma expanded Medicaid back a few years ago our budget would have been another 300 million in the hole this year. This is a no brainer, better to force the bums off the dole and into the work force.
The legislation lowers the income level for participation from 185% of the federal poverty level to 133%, meaning a person can be earning two and a third times more money than what is considered "impoverished" and can continue to spend their earnings on expensive shoes, drugs, alcohol, or luxury items rather than be responsible for their own medical care. This is basically Obama Care, subsidized private market health insurance plans for the masses, paid for by those of us who pay their own way.
Here are the Republicans that voted for the Medicaid expansion:
YEAS: 84
Banz Faught McDaniel, J. Roberts, S.
Bennett Fourkiller McDaniel, R. Rogers
Brown Goodwin McPeak Rousselot
Brumbaugh Griffith Montgomery Russ
Caldwell Hall Moore Sanders
Calvey Henke Munson Scott
Cannaday Hoskin Murdock Sears
Casey Inman Nelson Shelton
Christian Johnson Newell Sherrer
Cleveland Jordan Nollan Shoemake
Cockroft Joyner O'Donnell Tadlock
Condit Kannady Osborn Thomsen
Coody, A. Kirby Ownbey Vaughan
Coody, J. Kouplen Park Virgin
Cooksey Leewright Perryman Walker
Cox Lepak Peterson Watson
Denney Lockhart Pfeiffer Wesselhoft
Derby Loring Proctor Wood
Dunnington Martin Pruett Wright
Echols McBride Renegar Young
Enns McCullough Roberts, D. Mr. Speaker
Those who voted for Oklahoma values and voted no:
NAYS: 6
Dunlap Kern Ritze
Grau Murphey Strohm
EXCUSED: 11
Biggs Hardin Mulready Wallace
Billy McCall Ortega Williams
Fisher Morrissette Stone
