Leaders aloof about health insurance

As reporters questioned House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger and Senate President Larry Obhof after Tuesday’s State of the State speech in Sandusky, two things became clear:

1. They still hate Obamacare.

2. They haven’t a clue what they will do if the federal government takes away the Obamacare provision that Ohio used to implement a Medicaid expansion, which would blow a $3 billion hole in the two-year state budget that takes effect in July.

“Last time I checked, Congress doesn’t even have a bill before them,” said Rosenberger, R-Clarksville. “To your question of losing the dollars, that’s not what we’re looking at happening right now in the state of Ohio.”

While that’s true as far as it goes — federal lawmakers left Washington for their spring break without a compromise on replacing Obamacare — several reports say that quickly removing the Medicaid expansion is one of the selling points being made to congressional conservatives.

With revenue estimates already falling short by more than $600 million and growing, Ohio legislators and Gov. John Kasich would be extremely hard-pressed to come up with the necessary cash — and would be faced with deciding whether to continue the same type of coverage for all 700,000 covered by the Medicaid expansion. “At this point, we have not yet applied, given the uncertainty surrounding (Obamacare).”

But wasn’t that required by lawmakers?

“There was no deadline,” Brock replied.

Obhof reportedly is not happy about the dodge.

Watch for him to bring it up during confirmation proceedings with the new state insurance director appointed by Kasich to replace Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor as head of the agency.

Senators’ remarks seem contradictory

When it comes to consistency and the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch last week, a number of members of the U.S. Senate tripped over speeches they delivered in the past, Washington Bureau Chief Jack Torry points out.

Take Sen. Rob Portman. In a speech Thursday night, the Ohio Republican complained that Senate Democrats were trying to block a floor vote on Gorsuch with a filibuster: “I regret that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to provide him that up-or-down vote without going through the process we have had to go through today.”

The year before, however, Senate Republicans, including Portman, refused to hold a hearing or floor vote for federal appeals Judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Barack Obama to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Portman said at the time,“This is a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for generations, and I believe the best thing for the country is to trust the American people to weigh in.” He joined Republicans who said the winner of the presidential election should tap the new justice.