Walker, Republicans in legislature could be at odds over federal Medicaid money

Walker could be just positioning for national political career.

There has already been some divisions among republicans and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for a two-budget plan for the state.

The governor may have dug his heels in on not accepting additional federal Medicaid funding but a pressured legislature still may act.

Robert Kraig from Citizen Action of Wisconsin, thinks that may be the case for the state with the federal medicaid money Walker says he doesn’t want any part of.

“There are so many issues in Gov. Walker’s budget – so many funding crisis – I would not be totally shocked if there wasn’t a push among some Republican legislatures to take the money,” Kraig said. “I certainly think that would be the right thing to do from a healthcare stand point and a fiscal standpoint.”

Kraig believes it’s best for the state and Walker has other ideas in mind.

“This is really about his positioning on the far right and his presumed national political career,” Kraig said.

Walker, however, insists the idea makes no sense, since additional Medicaid funding has to be used to expand the eligibility list of those covered by the health insurance program for the poor and nothing else.  

Walker also believes states that took Medicaid funding will eventually be sorry for it.