The Associated Press: on Health Care
Dave Schatz:
Not in favor of funding Medicaid expansion
Missouri voters amended the state Constitution to extend eligibility for Medicaid to thousands more low-income adults under Obama's national health care law. But Schatz told reporters that voters didn't get to weigh in on how to fund the
expansion. "Without that, I'm not advocating that we would fund Medicaid expansion," Schatz said. "I think if voters had the opportunity to choose--given all the information--I don't believe they would have overwhelmingly passed Medicaid expansion."
Source: KY3/Associated Press on 2022 Missouri Senate race
Apr 8, 2021
Derek Schmidt:
COVID: Opposed prisoner vaccines; closing churches, schools
Throughout the pandemic, Schmidt has been at odds with Gov. Laura Kelly's decisions, including vaccine distribution to prison populations, school district mask mandates and attempting to restore the legislature's ability to revoke state-agency issued
regulation. Schmidt also issued a legal opinion in the early stages of the pandemic, questioning the state's authority to prosecute people who violate emergency orders.
Source: Associated Press on KSHB-41 on 2022 Kansas Governor race
Mar 9, 2021
Derek Schmidt:
Elected Attorney-General opposing Affordable Care Act
Schmidt was a Kansas Senate majority leader in 2010 when he made his first run for attorney general and unseated a Democrat after promising to push back against the Affordable Care Act championed by then-President Barack Obama.
Schmidt's participation in lawsuits with other GOP attorneys general have been a regular feature of his tenure.
Source: Associated Press on KSHB-41 on 2022 Kansas Governor race
Mar 9, 2021
Donald Trump:
FactCheck: No massive prices cuts for prescription drugs
TRUMP: I'm cutting drug prices. I'm going with Favored Nations. Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90%. So we're cutting healthcare. Prescription drug prices, we're going to allow our Governors now to go to other countries to buy drugs because when
they paid just a tiny fraction of what we do.FactCheck by Associated Press, Aug. 3, 2020: Actually, no massive, across-the-board cuts are in the offing for drug prices.
Efforts announced last month by the president--such as allowing importation of medicines from countries where prices are lower--take time to roll out. It remains to be seen how much they'll move the needle on prices.
Drug importation, for example, requires regulatory actions to be taken and supply chains to be established.
Source: Associated Press Fact-Check: First 2020 Presidential Debat
Sep 29, 2020
Jon Ossoff:
COVID: out of control because government ignored science
On COVID: "We are in the middle of a grave public health crisis. It is spiraling out of control because Washington politicians downplayed the crisis, ignored the medical science, undermined the doctors and scientists who knew what they're doing,"
Ossoff said. "And senator David Perdue, in the middle of this health crisis, is still supporting efforts to repeal protections for Georgians with preexisting conditions."
Source: Associated Press on 2020 Georgia Senate race
Oct 28, 2020
Spencer Cox:
Supports move to scale back Medicaid expansion
He said he supported state leaders' move to scale back a voter-approved Medicaid expansion,
though he also wants to work to reduce health care costs overall.
Source: Associated Press coverage of 2020 Utah gubernatorial race
May 14, 2019
Tim Walz:
Shuttered businesses and schools during COVID-19 pandemic
In his first term as governor, Walz faced a Legislature split between a Democratic-led House and a Republican-controlled Senate. But he and lawmakers brokered compromises that made the state's divided government still seem productive.
Bipartisan cooperation became tougher during his second year as he used the governor's emergency power during the COVID-19 pandemic to shutter businesses and close schools. Republicans pushed back and forced out some agency heads.
Republicans also remain critical of Walz over what they see as his slow response to sometimes violent unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
Things got easier for Walz in his second term,
after he defeated Republican Scott Jensen, a physician known nationally as a vaccine skeptic. Democrats gained control of both legislative chambers, clearing the way for a more liberal course in state government, aided by a huge budget surplus.
Source: Associated Press on 2024 Vice Presidential hopefuls
Aug 6, 2024
Page last updated: Nov 03, 2024