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Ohio Republicans Criticize Biden's Border Policy Ahead of Columbus Trip

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman
Andy Chow
/
Statehouse News Bureau
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman is critical of the Affordable Care Act expansion because he says it gives subsidies to people who are well above the poverty. President Joe Biden is visiting Columbus Tuesday where he is expected to talk about the expansion.

President Joe Biden is visiting with officials at the James-Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus Tuesday where he's expected to talk about the expansion of the Affordable Care Act.

As Biden makes a trip to Ohio, state Republican leaders say the president has other issues he should be addressing.

"There is a crisis at our Southern border -- today is not the day for a PR tour to spike the football on a $1.9 trillion “relief” bill that does next to nothing to combat COVID-19," Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Paduchik wrote in a statement before Biden's trip.

Paduchik is referring to the surge of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and the increase of people being held in detention facilities.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) adds his criticism to the relief bill saying Congress should have taken a different approach to expanding the Affordable Care Act.

"My concern on that, which I expressed at the time, is it's increasing the subsidy for people who are well above the poverty line, and I would've targeted it much more," said Portman, who also noted what's happening at the border, saying it constitutes a crisis.

Portman visited the border over the weekend and says the Biden administration should open the facilities to the press, which at this point has been denied access.

Supporters of the ACA expansion say it gives millions of more low-income people the ability to get health coverage and expands Medicaid coverage.
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Andy Chow
Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.