Dems use Kemp campaign events to promote Medicaid expansion

Democrats found a way to turn Gov. Brian Kemp’s recent campaign appearances with big-name Republicans to promote the policies of their gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams.

When word came out that Kemp would be campaigning with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence, once the governor of Indiana, the Democrats did their best to remind Georgians that both those men led states that have expanded Medicaid.

For Christie’s appearance, Abrams shot out a tweet hitting Kemp for blocking a plan to provide coverage under the federal-state public health plan for the poor and disabled to Georgians with HIV.

“Today,” she wrote, “Chris Christie (who expanded Medicaid in New Jersey) is appearing with Brian Kemp, who deprives 500,000+ Georgians of Medicaid access and just vetoed access for Georgians living with HIV. Kemp doesn’t care, so Georgians suffer while our tax dollars flow to 38 other states.”

It also was a key point of contention in the 2018 race. Abrams sought an expansion of Medicaid that would, according to estimates, cover at least 400,000 additional Georgians.

Kemp has said that full expansion would be too expensive for Georgia, although the federal government would pick up 90% of the costs for newly eligible adults.

As governor, Kemp has backed a program that would allow Georgia to impose a work and activity requirement for some lower-income Georgians to qualify for Medicaid. Kemp’s administration has estimated that it would cover about 50,000 adults.

The state received a waiver from the Trump administration to allow the work requirement, but the Biden administration put that on hold. The state is fighting to restore the waiver.

WSB-TV When New Jersey ex-Gov. Chris Christie (left) campaigned with Gov. Brian Kemp, Stacey Abrams pointed out Christie ran a state that fully expanded Medicaid, which Kemp has blocked.