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

Statehouse News Bureau
U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

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. Senator 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 says it gives millions of more low-income people the ability to get health coverage and expands Medicaid coverage.

Contact Andy at achow@statehousenews.org.
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