ALBANY — Upstate Rep. John Faso says he hasn’t given up on his effort to transfer the local costs of Medicaid outside of New York City onto the state.
Faso, of Columbia County, and fellow GOP Rep. Chris Collins, of Erie County, had an amendment to do just that attached to the House bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The House passed it as part of its health care bill backed by President Trump. But the Senate parliamentarian on Friday found that the Senate would need 60 votes, rather than a simple majority of 51, to attach the amendment to a health care and budget reconciliation bill.
Undeterred, Faso said that while he doesn’t necessarily agree with the Senate parliamentarian’s decision, he will seek to attach the measure to different legislation that wouldn’t necessarily need a super-majority.
“I think it’s highly unlikely they’re going to be able to pass the health care legislation, so I’ve really kind of moved on from that question,” Faso said.
“But the fact remains (that) the 57 counties outside of New York City pay more in Medicaid costs than all local governments in the 49 other states combined.”
Gov. Cuomo has ripped the amendment as anti-New York and threatened to impose a “Faso-Collins federal tax” on counties to offset the $2.3 billion the change would cost the state.
“It’s disturbing but not surprising that Faso will continue his crusade to hurt the very people who he was elected to look out for in Washington,” said Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi.
“New Yorkers aren’t stupid, and they’ll remember this come Election Day.”
Looking to help flip the House to the Democrats, Cuomo has begun a campaign that will target at least six New York House Republicans, including Faso and Collins.
