COLUMBUS — U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announced his opposition to the current Senate health care bill Tuesday afternoon after days of political pummeling that ended with the vote delayed.
The Ohio Republican issued a statement Tuesday after the Senate delayed its vote and after he had been subjected to baseball game flyovers, demonstrations and other pressures to oppose the bill.
Here is my statement opposing the current Senate health care draft: https://t.co/GGSumcRyyB
— Rob Portman (@robportmanOH) June 27, 2017
Portman says he continues to have concerns about the Medicaid policies in the bill. He specifically pointed to those that impact drug treatment at a time when Ohio is facing an opioid epidemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wanted to bring the bill to a vote before the July 4th recess. He said Tuesday afternoon he would delay a vote while GOP leadership works toward getting enough votes.
“For months, I have engaged with my colleagues on solutions that I believe are necessary to ensure that we improve our health care system and better combat this opioid epidemic,” Portman said in his statement. “Unfortunately, the Senate draft falls short and therefore I cannot support it in its current form.”
Portman faced intense pressure back home to oppose the Senate’s GOP health care bill.
The Ohio Republican is being subjected to baseball game flyovers, demonstrations, television ads and a verbal onslaught by GOP Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Kasich has been highly critical nationally of the bill’s cuts to Medicaid, which he says will harm America’s most vulnerable citizens.
Portman’s announcement did not deter a group of constituents who planned to go ahead with a planned gathering outside his downtown Columbus office on Wednesday where they planned to call attention all the ways they say the Senate bill will hurt Ohio and ask him to continue his opposition, said Nicole Rocco, a spokeswoman for the group.
Portman could be forgiven if he begins to feel like the rope in a game of tug-of-war. Vice President Mike Pence is pushing back with a visit to Cleveland on Wednesday in support of the bill. That catches Portman, who represents a closely divided battleground state, in the crosshairs of the high-stakes intraparty fight.
Portman easily won re-election in 2016, so he’s got some time and political cushion to await an alternative bill. But GOP leaders are eager now to replace the Affordable Care Act.