Bruce Ritchie
Gov. Rick Scott’s lawsuit against federal healthcare agency over hospital funding would be a “frivolous” would represent the “tea party gone wild,” House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford said Thursday
The impending loss of $2 billion in Low Income Pool money and Medicaid expansion has been at the center of a budget impasse in the Legislature. House and Senate leaders acknowledged Wednesday the Legislative Session will end May 1 without the chambers adopting a budget.
Scott said Thursday he will sue the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for not providing Low Income Pool dollars if the state does not expand Medicaid as envisioned under federal health care law.
Pafford told reporters he thinks Scott’s political aspirations, including a possible U. S. Senate bid in 2018, could play a role in the decision to sue.
“Sure, it’s tea party gone wild,” Pafford said. “The governor is back to that. The lawsuit I think is frivolous at best — not being an attorney, but I’m going to guess.”
The lawsuit doesn’t complicate problems with the chambers agreeing on a 2015-16 state budget, Pafford said. With Republican majorities in the House and Senate, he said, the chambers can do what they want: follow the governor or vote to expand Medicaid despite his objections.
Pafford said that if House and Senate Republicans provide leadership, the session could end on May 1 with a budget.
“We (Democrats) know what we want,” Pafford said. “We don’t necessarily care how we get there. Healthcare expansion is critical. And that’s what we need to be doing.”
Pafford said that the governor will probably “lose quietly” in federal court as he has in the past with lawsuits challenging federal policies.
“It’s a corporate reaction: We sue people,” he said. “The sad part is the taxpayers of Florida that will pay more.”
Pafford also called the budget impasse “Washington nonsense being delivered to Florida by Republicans.”
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli has said “elections have consequences” with Republicans who oppose President Barack Obama‘s health care policies gaining seats in 2014 against Democrats who support them.
Pafford, though, said Crisafulli only represents one of 120 seats in the House. He said many bills could die without resolving the budget impasse and he thinks a vote on Medicaid expansion should be allowed by House leaders.
“I think people are tired of the rhetoric — some individuals clearly within the Republican caucus,” Pafford said. “I think they would join with Democrats to pass something — I’m certain of that.”
