Christine Jordan Sexton
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy made a visit to the Senate Democratic Caucus Wednesday morning and told members to hold the line on Medicaid expansion because it it’s a key component of the federal Affordable Care Act.
Murphy said the Senate FHIX plan is “not perfect” but said the chamber was working in a bipartisan way to “get something done” and is trying to solve a problem.
“I hope you all hold the line on this. It is critical,” Murphy said of Medicaid expansion as called for in Obamacare.
Murphy announced he is running in 2016 for the US Senate. Murphy, a Republican turned Democrat, easily won re-election in 2014, and announced in late March he was running for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat.
He told members of the caucus that one of the biggest challenges is the rising costs of health care. Murphy said that health care cost increased by less than 4 percent last year, compared to double digit increases in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He called that a “huge win” and said that the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion could have played a role in that.
“I hope the House and the governor kind of wake up here and find a bill that they can work with the federal government on to get something done,” Murphy said. “Because this is something that is the right thing to do for people, but on a fiscal stand point, also is very important we get done especially in a state as big as Florida.
