Chad's Morning Brief: Republicans Planning Their Next Moves on DHS Funding, Texas Republican Leaders Won't Expand Medicaid

Here is your Morning Brief for March 3, 2015.

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Friday Deadline

According to POLITICO, Republicans won't have a plan on how to deal with funding the Department of Homeland Security until later this week. By Friday night, Speaker John Boehner is going to have to get Republicans together on a plan. According to POLITICO, not all conservatives are ready to go along with the Speaker.

Just hours after the leadership meeting, another emerging power center — the House Freedom Caucus, led by Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan — will gather Monday night to plan their next moves. Sources in the newly formed group say its members aren’t moving to oust Boehner, but some conservatives would support removing the speaker if it came up.
The Senate, meanwhile, is expected to formally vote late Monday afternoon to reject a request by House conservatives for a conference committee negotiation on the DHS funding issue. Senate Democrats have filibustered the House’s hardline DHS proposal four time already, and are set to again shut down the GOP’s attempts to block President Barack Obama’s immigration actions by tying riders to DHS funding.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Monday that Democrats’ tactic to filibuster the conference “just doesn’t make any sense.” But Senate Democrats say there’s no room to negotiate between their chamber’s “clean” bill that funds DHS through September and the House’s bill.

Remember, no matter what happens on Friday, DHS will not shutdown. All essential personnel will remain. The Democrats, media, and even some Republicans will act like the whole thing will shutdown, but it simply isn't true.

Texas Republicans Won't Expand Medicaid

Texas Republicans want more flexibility to administer Medicaid, but don't confuse that stance with an expansion of Medicaid. According to the Texas Tribune, Republican leaders have asked the Obama administration for greater flexibility.

“Any expansion of Medicaid in Texas is simply not worth discussing,” state Sen.Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, said at a press conference.
Schwertner and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both told reporters that the federal-state health insurance program for the elderly and disabled was on an “unsustainable trajectory” of growing costs. In a letter, they asked the federal government for more wiggle room to administer the program, requesting cost-cutting changes to its benefits packages and seeking to require that Medicaid beneficiaries have or seek employment to get health coverage.
Similar requests by former Gov. Rick Perry for flexibility in spending Medicaid dollars failed under both Democratic and Republican presidents. About 4.1 million Texans are on Medicaid, which constitutes about 29 percent of the total state budget.

The administration is not likely to go along with the program that was proposed yesterday. Democrats in Texas slammed the Republicans and called the announcement political theater.

Other Must Read Links:

Texas Frat Not Punished for Border Party

Cruz Defends Colorado Pot Laws

Mark Levin Hits Republicans at CPAC

Eric Holder Thinks It’s Too Hard to Civil Rights Cases

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.