Nine Republican Congress members are asking the federal government to reject a request by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to expand Medicaid eligibility in North Carolina under the Affordable Care Act. Cooper amended a Medicaid reform waiver filed on June 1 by former Governor Pat McCrory. 

 

The only House Republican not to sign the letter obtained by the Winston Salem Journal was Rep. Walter Jones. 

 

The congressional letter was sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

 

“Regardless of the legality of Gov. Cooper’s proposal, approving this request in the final days of President Obama’s administration, when President-elect (Donald) Trump won overwhelmingly on a platform of repealing and replacing Obamacare, would be a slap in the face to North Carolina voters,” said Rep. Robert Pittenger (9th).

 

Medicaid covers nearly 2 million North Carolina citizens at the cost of $14 billion annually.