Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) campaigned across the state last fall against Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott. But at a press conference Monday morning at the Vermont Statehouse, the trio tripped over one another in praise of the first-term governor.
What changed? Scott has become one of a handful of Republican governors to oppose congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“You’re not getting compliments from all your colleagues for doing this,” Welch told Scott, who flashed a sheepish grin. “But you’re getting a lot of compliments from the Vermonters you represent.”
Added Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero), whose budget Scott vetoed last month, “I want to thank the governor, as well, for speaking up, because it’s not an easy thing to speak up and go against the prevailing will of your party.”
Scott did, indeed, voice forceful opposition to repeal legislation U.S. Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote in the coming weeks, arguing that it would “leave our state with a budget deficit we could not absorb” without cutting services or raising taxes.
“The consequences for Vermonters would be severe,” the governor said of the bill.
Scott called it “imperative” that Republicans and Democrats work together to improve the ACA, but he was hazy on the details of what he sought. Asked whether there was an approach that might satisfy him and Vermont’s left-leaning congressional delegation, the governor retreated to his talking points.
“Well, certainly we need to protect for Vermont the high level of funding for [the state] and increased flexibility,” Scott said, citing a state pilot project to treat 30,000 Medicaid patients through an accountable care organization. “We would like to continue to do what we’ve been doing and enhance that, so that we can protect Vermonters.”
So he’d rather not see any changes to the ACA, better known as Obamacare?
“Well, no, there are some changes,” he clarified. “I mean, the reality is, I think, and this is something that the Congress is going to have to deal with: What’s in place now is unsustainable for the future. But we need more of these pilot projects.”
Sanders, a longtime proponent of single-payer health care, was far more clear about the approach he would take to reform the ACA: Provide a public health insurance option, lower Medicare eligibility from 65 to 55, and require prescription drug price negotiation.
“Those are three proposals that I think would win widespread support all over this country and strengthen the Affordable Care Act as we move toward Medicare-for-all,” the senator said.
Asked whether he agreed with Sanders’ proposals, Scott pivoted to his message of bipartisan cooperation.
“I’m just asking us to take a deep breath,” he said. “Put politics aside. Get to the table and come up with something that works for us in Vermont and for the country.”
Asked again about Sanders’ three-part plan, Scott got an assist from Welch.
“Let me answer this,” the Democratic congressman said. “I support everything that Bernie just outlined. I’m a cosponsor of bills to do that. But a lot of that is going to have to take place at the federal level. That’s on us.”
Asked a third time to respond to Sanders’ proposals, Scott demurred once more.
“Well, again, I’m not going to get into — to speculate on the provisions of something that hasn’t happened yet,” he said. “Again, I’m just advocating for people to get together so that we can have some discussions about those three issues, along with other concerns that maybe Republicans have as well.”
Sanders, apparently, felt compelled to rescue the Republican governor. He stepped up to the podium, put a hand on Scott’s shoulder and said, “Let me just add: I didn’t mean to put the governor on the spot here.”
An audience of activists and political staffers broke out in laughter.
“Those are the issues that I’m fighting for, but I very much appreciate Gov. Scott and his fellow Republicans being here,” Sanders said. “We are united in saying that this legislation, if passed, will be a disaster for the state of Vermont. That’s what we’re here to do.”
Sanders patted Scott on the back and concluded, “But I do want to thank the governor very much for his help on this.”
Scott soon reciprocated. As the press conference drew to a close, a reporter asked Sanders about a federal investigation into his wife’s tenure as president of Burlington College — and allegations that Jane O’Meara Sanders committed federal loan fraud.
“Oh, jeez,” Sanders said with a grimace, declining to answer.
The crowd jeered the reporter.
“Maybe we can save that for another time,” Scott suggested.
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I had not imagined myself to be more progressive than Bernie, but it is apparently so. Rather than lowering the age for Medicare eligibility or raising the income level for Medicaid eligibility, I would eliminate the eligibility requirements altogether. Every time a person pays a health insurance premium, a portion of that payment goes to pay shareholder dividends and another part of that payment goes to pay the outrageous executive salaries. By eliminating eligibility requirements for Medicare/Medicaid, everyone is eligible and health insurance companies are themselves eliminated.
I still haven’t seen any evidence that Phil Scott has actually done anything to stop Obamacare repeal – other than making statements to the Vermont press to strengthen his standing back home.
He hasn’t gone to Washington to meet with Republican Senators to urge them to oppose the bill, or spent his time calling wavering Republicans to convince them He hasn’t used his standing as a Republican governor to speak out to the national media about the reasons he believes the bill is bad. There is no public evidence of him mobilizing other Republican governors to speak out against the bill.
Did he write any op-eds on the subject that he submitted to newspapers with national influence? Did he appear on any networks talking about why he, as a Republican governor, opposed the bill? Did he engage in a single instance of personally lobbying Republican Senators against the bill?
As far as I can tell, his “opposition” has consisted of signing on to a few anodyne bipartisan letters from Governors expressing mild “concern” over the proposal, and taking part in politically advantageous appearances at home in Vermont.
It appears the bill is – thankfully – dead, but it doesn’t seem Phil Scott did a single thing that contributed to killing it.
He’s getting a lot of credit here for not doing anything of substance.
There’s things I would love to say about the “Three Amigos” but I will hold my tongue..Gov Scott who I thought, “Wow finally a Republican in office” is turning out to be more a democrat then Republican.
The quote “the trio tripped over one another in praise of the first-term governor.” is what they were doing tripping..They just want Scott to be another democrat..oh and Sanders is NOT an independent he’s a pure DEMOCRAT!!! Seeing none of them supported or voted for him..
What these fools needs to do is REPEAL all of obamacare the so called joke “Affordable Care Act”..Who the hell can afford it!!! As for the the recent health care act is also a huge joke..only ones who want it is rino republicans and the democrats,(tho they say they are against it), they only a couple of things..it’s still the friggin obamacare !!!!
Sanders wants a Socialist health care insurance, where they have control of your life..where they tell you if you need these pills, operations or not..SCREW HIM !!!!
We need a healthcare that we can afford, not one where the government dictates to us..We have to work real jobs to pay for our stuff Unlike these politicians who we pay for their gas, trips, “New cars,”New waterfront homes, vacations trips..there’s a lot of us who can’t even afford to take a whim vacation…we pay for their healthcare
We don’t want insurance that has a outrageous deductible, outrageous premium, and then be fined because we can’t afford the premiums,,
What these elite politicians have forgotten is we are their boss , they aren’t our boss, we sign their paychecks.
They are suppose to listen to all of us not just the democrats..Time to clean out the SWAMP staring with our own state swamp..
“TAKE BACK VERMONT”