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Healthcare controversy hits home
The healthcare debate in Congress may have ended but it's just beginning in Prince William County.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart (R) confirmed on Tuesday that he intends to try to keep the county staff from cooperating with the new federal healthcare legislation.
The Prince William Democratic Committee earlier in the week provided a video of Stewart speaking at a Tea Party rally in Stafford on April 10.
In the video, Stewart says he intends on May 4 “to pass a resolution, which will direct our county staff to refuse to administer the new Medicaid benefits.”
Stewart went on to loosely compare healthcare reform to the Nazi regime, saying “It’s up to each and every one of us, when we see wrong, to stand up and say no not only 'no' but 'hell no, we’re not going to do it; we’re not going to go there.'”
Asked whether the county can refuse to comply with federal law, county attorney Angela Horan said it depends on how the federal and state mandates play out and whether there are loopholes in the legislation.
“We'll have to see what form that mandate takes,” she said. “To date, nobody has spoken to us from a state or federal level.”
One attorney said privately that if the county does anything to hinder county residents from collecting Medicaid, lawsuits are almost certain.
Reporters peppered supervisors and county staffers with questions about the plan's legality throughout the day on Tuesday and by the end of the afternoon, Stewart had backed off his rhetoric to some extent.
Speaking at the end of Tuesday's board meeting, he said his resolution would “direct staff not to start (implementing the new regulations) until required to do so by federal or state courts.”
Brentsville Supervisor Wally Covington (R) said before Tuesday's meeting that there is a legitimate concern about the cost of implementing the new healthcare legislation.
While the cost of healthcare itself will be paid for at the federal or state level, the administrative costs will fall to the county, Covington said.
If the healthcare bill gives more people access to Medicaid, more staffers will be needed to enroll them, determine eligibility and handle other paperwork. The county is responsible for hiring and paying those extra employees and that could end up costing a lot, he said.
The question is, will the federal or state government kick in money to cover that administrative cost, or will it all fall to the county?
“The county is very, very concerned about having to fire police officers and teachers to hire Medicaid workers,” he said.
Covington didn't commit to backing or opposing Stewart's resolution but said during the meeting that it's good to have the conversation.
“The more we talk about it, perhaps the more the federal and state governments will listen,” he said.
Asked about Stewart's resolution, Coles Supervisor Marty Nohe (R) said before the meeting that he won't back anything if it means ignoring federal or state laws.
“Prince William county needs to comply with the law,” he said. “I don't know what the law is going to be, but we need to comply with the law.”
When he reiterated that assertion during the meeting, Stewart agreed but said he is expecting Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's lawsuit to tie things up for awhile.
“What I don't want to do is start administering these benefits until we're required to do so,” he said.
But it's not certain that Stewart has the votes to get his resolution passed.
Neabsco Supervisor John Jenkins (D) said the bill hasn't even taken effect yet and that the board shouldn't act until there is a reason to do so.
“Right now, the law of the land is out and until the courts overturn it, I don't want to waste county resources on it at all,” he said.
Occoquan Supervisor Mike May (R) said he doesn't want to do anything that would encourage Cuccinelli to sue Prince William.
“History shows that he has no problem initiating lawsuits against other government bodies,” he noted.
And Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi (D) said he first wants the county staff to report back on the impact that Stewart's resolution would have on the county.
For his part, Stewart said he won't formally present the resolution until May 4 and that he will make sure county residents have plenty of time to speak out on the issue before supervisors vote.
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