Daniel TilsonSo, conservative extremists disabled our Florida Legislature this week. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli rocked the ship of state and shocked many of his GOP colleagues when he abruptly adjourned the 2015 session several days early. This, with a state budget and much important legislative work still undone. This, because of an iron-clad commitment by Gov. Rick Scott and House Republicans to put sabotage of what they’re now derisively calling “Obamacare Expansion” above all else.
With the Florida Senate also controlled by conservative Republicans — but unwilling to turn extremist and turn their backs on 850,000 uninsured Floridians — the House had ample opportunity and professional responsibility to reach a compromise. The fact that they instead quit work early to prove just how uncompromising they are — that may be almost as instructive as it is maddening. Almost.
For one thing, it’s further evidence in a theoretical case that’s getting less circumstantial and more concrete daily. It’s the case charging House Republicans and Scott with conspiracy to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act, federal law since 2010. If you think recent-days timing of Scott’s flip-flop on the Florida coverage gap, his follow-up lawsuit against the feds, and the House’s premeditated work stoppage was all somehow coincidental…well, think again.
Scott & Co. knew for at least a year that temporary Low Insurance Pool (LIP) federal funding for public hospitals treating the uninsured would expire June 30 — but did nothing to deal with the looming crisis. Now, in creating The Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding, the formerly scandalized “healthcare mergers & acquisitions” lawyer/CEO turned Florida governor is attacking public hospitals and seeking conversion of federal funds to close the coverage gap under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into Medicaid “block grants” the state can use “at its discretion.”
Make no mistake, that’s the new game plan Scott and House Republicans will take into the upcoming special legislative session they’ve engineered, on our taxpaying dime. Their earlier game plan — to create Florida’s coverage gap but reject federal funds and infrastructure meant to close it — successfully created the current atmosphere of confusion, chaos and impending calamity. Now, they’re blaming the feds and their Senate colleagues, taking credit for “standing firm” and riding to our rescue in a special session.
None of this is surprising. The House shutdown was sickening confirmation of what many expected for a long time — that radically conservative Republican officeholders in Florida would stake their public image and support on a willingness to undo President Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, at any and all cost to the men, women and children of Florida.
But with crisis comes opportunity, right? While Scott and House Republicans create public policy chaos they can exploit, our Florida Senate has shown strong signs of being the genuine public servants they were elected to be. President Andy Gardiner has led his chamber like a man who cares more about “the greater good” than the extremist agenda of others in his own party.
In crafting the conservative, business-friendly FHIX plan as a private-sector way of closing the Florida coverage gap, winning support of business, religious, civic and community leaders statewide, the Senate is shining a light on something many of us couldn’t see anymore.
There really is something approaching a “centrist” element in the ranks of Florida’s Republican politicians and officeholders. They’re the “old school” variety that understands there are certain issues and times that demand constructive compromise.
This is of course one of those issues, and that very time. In the weeks before the special session, we’d all do well to vocally support the Senate centrists, and hold the governor’s and House extremists’ feet to the fire.
Daniel Tilson has a Boca Raton-based communications firm called Full Cup Media, specializing in online video and written content for non-profits, political candidates and organizations, and small businesses. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
