Republicans facing pressure from left and right in Virginia's Medicaid debate
Del. Chris Stolle of Virginia Beach is among House Republicans who back expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. And those Republicans are being pressured by conservatives to change their position.
In the Richmond area, Stolle's sister, state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, is also facing pressure. But it's a different kind.
Dunnavant is among the 21-member Senate Republican Caucus holding firm against Medicaid expansion. And that's leading to pressure from Democrats on her and other Republican senators to change their positions.
The distinct pressures on the Republican legislative siblings illustrate the division within the state GOP over the issue. While a significant number of Republicans in the House agreed - after their caucus nearly lost its majority in the the November election - to support Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's call for expansion, the Senate has refused. And now, political pressure is being exerted from all sides ahead of the legislature's return to session on April 11 to finish work on the budget.
Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/republicans-facing-pressure-from-left-and-right-in-virginia-s/article_cb3cec06-2d53-58a4-8fb8-77701974721d.html