TUCSON — During a call with Arizona press Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., said he is agreeable to extending for a year subsidies for those receiving coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
“We need to have a discussion, like we all mentioned, on the subsidy extension and what is going to happen there, and I’m all open to that,” Ciscomani said. “Let’s open up this government, and that’s a direct message in urgency, to Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.”
He also said Democrats are trying to “wipe away” $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals across the nation.
“We know how much this would hurt,” Ciscomani said. “We don’t want to see that fund going away, and that’s part of the Democrats plan on this.”
Ciscomani was joined on the call by U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who serves as the House Majority Whip. Emmer repeatedly lambasted Democrats Kelly and Gallego for not voting for the continuing resolution passed by Republicans in the House that would stop the federal government shutdown.
“For some reason Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and their leader Chuck Schumer, filed an alternative plan. They can say what it isn’t but you can read what it is. And what it is, it will restore taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegals,” Emmer said.
Under the Democratic proposal, Medicaid would be available to “A citizen or national of the United States,” and “an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence as an immigrant.”
Emmer also said he, as Majority Whip, can’t get Republicans to support Ciscomani’s position on ACA subsidies “until Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego open the government up again.”
In response to a question about the delay in swearing in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva, who won the Sept. 23 special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which came open following the March 13 death of her father, Raul Grijalva, Ciscomani said he has not “been silent” on the matter.
“We are eager to move forward with the business of the House and the business of Congress, which includes the swearing-in of Adelita Grijalva” Ciscomani said. “People in CD7 need to have their voice heard and I am all for that, which is another one of the reasons why we need to open the government, so we can carry on with the business.”
