Gov. Rick Perry called Medicaid expansion a "fool's errand" -- but in this case, who is really the fool?
For Texas Gov. Rick Perry the most terrifying thing in the world may not be that his state is dead last when it comes to health care, or that it has the highest percentage of uninsured residents in the country. The most terrifying thing in the world may be that the federal government wants to do something about it.
This week, Perry doubled down on his rejection of Medicaid expansion under the new health care law, despite the fact that accepting the expansion would bring $90 billion to his state over the next decade and insure 1.5 million low-income Texans. At a press conference on Monday, Perry said Texas would not be “held hostage” by Obama over the issue of Medicaid expansion.
On Wednesday, Rep. Joaquin Castro joined the NOW with Alex Wagner panel to discuss Perry’s latest move on Medicaid.
“There are great economic and moral reasons to do the right thing and expand Medicaid,” Castro said, “at every opportunity, Governor Perry has politicized this issue so much that he’s putting himself into a corner now and I think even he realizes that ultimately the state of Texas has got to accept the federal money.”
Castro urged Perry to “do the right thing, take the $90 billion dollars and insure 1.5 million Texans.”