More than 41,000 Florida Veterans Could Benefit from Expanded Health Care

If successful, Richard Corcoran’s crusade against expanding access to health care could continue to deny more than 41,000 veterans access to affordable health care. No doubt these veterans would take exception to the Shadow Speaker’s Twitter rants stereotyping “able bodied childless adults” struggling to find a job as lazy moochers. Corcoran even went as far as to say helping these Floridians obtain insurance would be “disgraceful.” 

What’s disgraceful is a Tallahassee politician invoking the rhetoric of going “to war” against expanding access to affordable health care to Floridians who have worn the uniform and fought protect our country — something Corcoran, a former Naval reservist, should appreciate more than most.

But as Floridians have seen, the dysfunction and gridlock imported from Washington by Corcoran’s cabal has forced Tallahassee Republicans to drive the 2015 legislative session into a ditch. With one week left, there is no budget (and no hope of productive negotiations on the horizon), no gambling bill, and no major water or environmental protections legislation. Floridians, and especially our veterans, deserve better. 

It’s past time Richard Corcoran allow Steve Crisafulli to call an up or down vote in the House on Medicaid expansion. Florida’s 41,200 veterans who could benefit from the plan deserve to know which House Republican legislators believe they should have access to affordable health care, and which legislators agree with Corcoran that the idea is “disgraceful.” With only one week left in the session, it’s time for a vote.