Governors are meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., this weekend to discuss the fate of Medicaid, one of the biggest hurdles on the road to ACA repeal, The Hill reports.
Many of the governors representing states that elected to expand Medicaid under the ACA want to keep it, while conservatives and Republican governors from states that did not expand the program are aiming for a full repeal. Of the 33 Republican governors, 17 represent states that rejected Medicaid expansion and 16 represent states that accepted it, a near even divide.
Congress will have trouble passing a repeal and replace bill unless Republicans can reach an agreement on the future of Medicaid, and pressure from governors and state leaders who want to preserve Medicaid expansion seems to be having some influence on lawmakers, according to the report. For example, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Wednesday she would not vote to repeal Medicaid expansion if the state supports keeping it, according to the report.
Republicans can only lose two Republican votes on a repeal and replace bill, assuming all Democrats vote against it, according to the report.
Governors will convene Saturday afternoon to attempt to bridge the divide.