The following is a press release from Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham
Governor Roy Cooper finally made his Medicaid ultimatum explicit in a public setting today. During his press conference, Cooper said, “I don’t want us to be passing the budget and just having the House pass Medicaid expansion because then you’re not going to get Medicaid expansion.” Cooper also said, “I hope they will sustain the veto because just because Medicaid expansion passes the House, doesn’t mean we have Medicaid expansion.”
Senator Berger issued the following statement:
“The time for Governor Cooper to talk about the budget was last month, when I personally handed him my opening offers on nearly all of the priorities he discussed today and asked for a counter offer. He refused to give one and instead blocked teacher and state employee raises, rape kit testing, and school construction funding over his Medicaid ultimatum.
“Governor Cooper has held the entire budget hostage over Medicaid expansion. If a veto override fails, we have a spending plan based on last year’s appropriations. At that point, the Governor can explain to voters why he blocked $24 billion over one policy disagreement. We can discuss a budget once he’s dropped his ultimatum.”
