Governors Ask For Time To Review And React To Health Care Bill

WASHINGTON, June 26 -- The National Governors Association issued the following news release:

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, via the National Governors Association (NGA), sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asking for adequate time to review and react to health care legislation.

Specifically, they ask for the time to review to "ensure that the bill does not adversely harm the people we were elected to serve."

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader

United States Senate

U.S. Capitol, S-230

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Leader McConnell,

As Congress continues to debate changes to our nation's health care system, the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) urges you to ensure that governors are given the opportunity to review, and react to any health care reform legislation.

As Chief Executives of our states, we have an obligation to protect the health and welfare of our citizens. The nation's governors are ready to work with leaders in Washington to make health care more accessible and affordable to the people we serve. However, governors must be given adequate time to determine the impact any health care bill will have on their states and residents, and ensure that the bill does not adversely harm the people we were elected to serve.

It is critical that any changes to Medicaid and the private health insurance market reflect states' experience as major health care purchasers, regulators, and administrators who will be responsible for carrying out new reforms.

On behalf of the National Governors Association, we urge you to give states sufficient time to review the legislation before proceeding, so that the full impact of the legislation may be understood and explained to the American people.

Sincerely,

Governor Terry McAuliffe

Chair

National Governors Association

Governor Charlie Baker

Vice-Chair Health and Human Services

National Governors Association