New York State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt (R) on Wednesday cast doubt over the possibility of Democrats bringing a single-payer health care bill to the floor and voting on it.
“I have little doubt at this point that it will not be brought to the floor now,” Ortt said while appearing on Hill.TV’s “Rising.”
“It is Albany and what we’ve seen over the past couple of years is that any bill sponsored by the Democrats, no matter how radical or how far-left, can come to the floor, it can be voted on rather quickly because they do have majorities in both houses, but I have seen and heard very little to lead me to believe that this is likely to happen this week,” Ortt added, noting that this is the last week the legislature will be in session.
Ortt stated that labor leaders he has spoken to are against the New York Health Act as it would alter health care plans they have already negotiated for their members.
“But I think more importantly — you look at New York state over the past year and Governor Cuomo’s Department of Health handling of the pandemic, of the nursing home deaths, the scandals surrounding that… Why anyone would think that now is the best time to entrust them with the health care of 20 million New Yorkers, is beyond me so it’s a bad policy, but on the practical sense, I do not see this happening this week,” Ortt said.
Earlier this week, Democratic New York state Sen. Jabari Brisport said there were enough votes in the New York State Senate to pass the legislation and override any vetoes that may come from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
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