Remarks by the Vice President at the National Governors Association
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all. It is wonderful to be here.
To Prime Minister Trudeau,
And I bring greetings today from my friend, a champion of federalism who is fighting every single day to restore power to the states and to the people, the 45th President of
The President is actually returning as we speak from
For me, it's great to be back at the NGA. I'm, frankly, very humbled -- very humbled to be with so many of the leaders I had the privilege to serve with when I was governor of the state of
So let me just take this personal opportunity to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for your friendship, your encouragement, and the prayers that have enabled us to serve in this new capacity. It is great to be back with America's governors. (Applause.)
I'm here as your Vice President, but I want you to know that I bring the perspective of a former governor, to your discussions this weekend. When I was a governor, I'd often come to
You heard it from the President himself when he addressed the NGA at the
Since day one of our administration,
And if you haven't noticed, this President likes to hire governors. (Laughter.) Not just present company, but I'm talking about our United Nations Ambassador
It really has been a privilege for me to continue to work so closely with all of you on the President's behalf. In February, Karen and I enjoyed welcoming many of you to the Vice President's Residence in
Now my wife couldn't be with us today. She's picking our daughter up from the airport -- been doing some foreign travel. But let me personally extend the President's and our family's heartfelt appreciation to the most important people in the room today: the spouses and family members of those who serve as governors across this nation. Could you give a round of applause to our spouses and family members that support the leadership of these great leaders? (Applause.)
The truth is, America's governors have a friend in President
The President has taken decisive action from the outset of this administration to put America back to work and get our economy moving again. This President has signed more laws slashing job-killing red tape out of
And our President has been busy unleashing American energy. He's opening the way for more offshore drilling, rolling back the Clean Power Plan, and the President has approved the Keystone and Dakota pipelines to strengthen the energy infrastructure of this nation. And speaking of infrastructure,
This President has also taken decisive action to ensure that America's trade deals are both free and fair. Thanks to the President's leadership, last month American companies were able to ship American beef to
The President has also opened up a new economic dialogue he asked me to lead with the nation of
And in the coming weeks,
Now I know you'll be hearing from Prime Minister Trudeau in just a few minutes. And let me assure you
The truth is,
And with the continued input of America's governors,
As a former governor myself, I know just how important healthcare is to each and every one of you as you lead your states. The simple truth, though, is Obamacare is imploding all across America, and working families and small businesses are paying the price every day. Our administration has found that the average premium on the individual market has more than doubled since Obamacare went into effect less than four years ago, and in many states, including some represented here, it's more than tripled.
When Obamacare passed, we were promised that families would save up to
On Monday, our administration announced that 38 percent fewer health insurers plan on participating in Obamacare exchanges next year, and the number could rise, leaving millions of Americans with even fewer choices. And come next year, 40 percent of American counties, including nine whole states, will have only one choice in a health insurance provider, meaning they essentially have no choice at all. Even worse, dozens of counties will have no health insurance providers whatsoever on the Obamacare exchange in 2018.
I know you know these facts, because as governors you're living that reality, not far afield in
Since early this year, the President has had me traveling across the country to many of your states, and I've always made a point to sit down with your local citizens and local businesses to hear the story about the hardship that Obamacare has placed in your communities. I've heard stories from small-business owners, working families, and parents with disabled children who have suffered terribly under the collapsing weight of this policy. People like
Then there's
There's
I don't have to tell all of you. I mean, these stories are not rare, but they're all heartbreaking. They're not the exception, they're the rule. But as I told each and every one of those that I mentioned and people all across this country: Help is on the way. We're going to give the American people access to the kind of world-class healthcare every American deserves. (Applause.)
I'm pleased to report, as you already know, just yesterday
Now,
The bill introduced in the
The
And if you take nothing else from what I say today, know that the
Now, I'm not speaking so much right now as your Vice President, but let me speak to you as a former governor and as someone who
But most of you also know that, under previous administrations -- frankly, in both political parties -- it's been difficult, if not at times impossible, for states to act on your own ideas. I actually learned that firsthand.
Right after I was elected governor, in early 2013, I went straight to work developing a serious Medicaid reform plan that would put vulnerable and low-income Hoosiers more in charge of their own healthcare decisions that would expand access to healthcare providers across the state.
Working with a remarkably talented woman whom I'm proud to say is now the Administrator of the
But when we submitted our waiver to the prior administration to implement our plan, we -- as many of you can attest in prior administrations -- we encountered roadblocks and bureaucracy in
It took our state more than two years for the federal government to approve our waiver. And even then, they, frankly, rejected an awful lot of what we were trying to do. I know many of you have submitted waiver requests over recent years to
Now,
President
Now, tomorrow you're going to hear from Secretary
And I got to tell you -- and I hope you've already had this experience -- Secretary
As you've heard from those
And a case in point: Just a few days ago, Administrator Verma approved a state innovation waiver for
Our administration is committed to working with you as partners. And the good news is that the
And when it comes to Medicaid, not only does the
As a former governor who expanded Medicaid in our state with consumer-directed healthcare, I have to tell you I understand and appreciate, as the President does, the concerns that many of you have as we talk about Medicaid in the future going forward. Our administration has paid very close attention to this issue, and we've had discussions with governors around this room and around the country.
So let me be clear:
Under the
And when it comes to receiving this funding, your states will have two options -- a per-capita cap or a block grant.
The per-capita cap gives each state the money you need to cover Medicaid's traditional beneficiaries, who need the most assistance.
And with the block grant option, you'll be able to determine how to best use your Medicaid dollars. And you can provide for your most vulnerable in ways that's best for your state.
At the same time, the
People on Medicaid will be eligible for the new tax credits, which will help them purchase the affordable coverage that's right for them.
The truth is that these reforms are long overdue.
Under Obamacare, the Medicaid expansion costs 50 percent more per enrollee than what we were told. At this very moment, Medicaid is one of the largest and fastest growing budget items in nearly every state budget. But you already know that. And as Medicaid grows, there's less and less money for schools, for roads, and for public safety.
The truth is for a long time Medicaid has been a broken system that's been fundamentally unsustainable, and the expansion that occurred Obamacare only made the system worse.
This just can't continue. That's why the
Obamacare has put far too many able-bodied adults on the Medicaid rolls, leaving many disabled and vulnerable Americans at the back of the line. It's true, and it's heartbreaking. I know
Just a few weeks ago at the
Jacob is
But a few years back, when their state expanded traditional Medicaid, the state also announced that they were going to cut back on coverage for medication like Jacob's.
One day,
And sure enough, it didn't. Young Jake's health began to fail, she told me. He even lost his ability to see, to walk, and to talk. Only by the grace of God did he regain these skills and a loving family was there at his side. But every day is now a struggle for him and their family.
Jake is not alone. The truth is I've heard from special-needs families as I've traveled all across this country, and they've told me again and again that unless we reform Medicaid, our most vulnerable are going to continue to be crowded out of coverage that they rely on and depend on.
I don't have to ask any one of you to know where your hearts are on this issue. You know Medicaid was created in the very instances of its founding to support the aged, the blind, the disabled, and vulnerable children. And unless we bring about needful reforms that you alone in your state know how to best implement, we're going to continue to see scarce resources crowd out the help that our most vulnerable need. And I know that no one around this table, no one sitting in a governor's office in our states or territories wants that to happen.
This demands a compassionate response. I know all of you care deeply about those families. You want to provide for them and give them the best shot at a better life.
I say that with confidence because I know all of you. Beyond the politics that may separate us, I have to tell you that being among governors was one of the most inspiring times in my season of public service. Because as Gina and I were talking earlier, governors are doers. You roll your sleeves up. More often than not, you just check your politics at the door and go figure out how to solve problems. And this room is filled with men and women who are problem-solvers.
So I want to say this is your chance. The
I really believe, as the President does, that we're saving Medicaid for the sake of our most vulnerable and all that depend on it. We're providing all Americans with access to the high quality and affordable health insurance with the reforms that are moving through
This really is about caring for the least among us, and it's about doing the right thing. And at the end of the day, I know in my heart of hearts the men and women around this table, and everyone in public service at every level longs to do just that.
Before I leave, I'd like to mention one more accomplishment in the
The President and I are grateful for each one of your leadership on this issue. And in my days back in the Hoosier State, I sat around kitchen tables with families that were dealing with the loss of a loved one to opioid addiction, or dealing with the long, long road back from opioid addiction and abuse.
Now you all would be glad to know that
With this President's support, the
And when this bill is signed into law, every state in America will benefit from this funding. And passing this bill is a vital step to help those who suffer in the grip of addiction, our communities, and our country, and put our entire nation back on the road to healing.
As the Governor and I were just talking a moment ago, once again in your state, after
The bottom line: That the
But today, I want to ask all of you to continue to work with us to build on the good work being done in this
But we truly do believe now is the time to act in the
And as I close, let me again thank you for the warm welcome today and the good fellowship. When I arrived today one of my colleagues asked me if I missed you. And the truth is, I do. The privilege of serving as a governor of the state I grew up in was the greatest privilege of my life till that phone rang a year ago this weekend.
But there's something special about governors, and I want you to know that
And as I ask it, I say with confidence that I know we will succeed as we confront the challenges in healthcare and beyond because I have faith.
So with boundless faith in the American people, with faith in you men and women in this room who lead the great states of this Union, with faith in our President's vision and determination, and with faith in God who has ever watched over this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, I say with confidence: We will make America safe again. We will make America prosperous again. We will give Americans the opportunity to have access to world-class healthcare again. And to borrow a phrase, working with all of you on behalf of all of the American people, we will Make America Great Again.
Thank you very much. God bless you for your service to this nation. God bless your states and God bless
END
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