Berger leaves the country as GOP leaders refuse to negotiate budget standoff
North Carolina’s budget standoff continues into its third week as NC Republicans refuse to negotiate with Gov. Cooper or legislative Democrats. As of Monday, July 22nd, Gov. Cooper presented GOP leaders with a counter-offer 14 days ago. GOP response? Zippo.
Republicans won’t even come to the table. Instead of working with the governor to agree on a budget that expands Medicaid and invests in our public schools and students, Republicans are trying to give even more of their misguided tax cuts to big corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
- Instead of negotiating in good faith with legislative Democrats and Gov. Cooper, GOP leaders are trying to buy votes for their misguided budget by slipping in over $353 million in earmarks. It has been two weeks since Gov. Cooper sent a compromise budget proposal to GOP leaders. Republicans ignored the counter-offer, and have refused to negotiate.
- When North Carolina elected Roy Cooper as governor in 2016 and broke the GOP supermajorities in 2018, voters spoke loud and clear: Republicans may control the General Assembly, but they need to include the Democrats in the process. So far they’re refusing to listen.
- Instead of negotiating, Sen. Phil Berger canceled a meeting with the governor’s office to go on vacation to Germany. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers are going as far as trying to auction off the headquarters for the Department of Health and Human Services to buy Democratic votes!
- GOP lawmakers paint a false choice on the state budget. The budget CAN include BOTH capital projects across the state (like a new med school at ECU) and MedEx. Cooper’s budget includes all projects earmarked by the GOP. And Cooper’s budget also includes Medicaid expansion.
We are closer to expanding Medicaid than we have ever been, but it’s not going to happen if it is not in the budget. It is critical that House Democrats live up to their campaign promises of expanding health care access by not voting to override the governor’s budget veto.
