Senator Tillis is again too weak to stand up for North Carolinians and explain why he’s against expanding Medicaid even as state experts confirm that expanding health care access during the current crisis could help even more North Carolinians than previously thought.

Senator Tillis has “long argued against expanding Medicaid” but refused “repeated requests” for interviews to discuss the issue since he knows his position is out of step with North Carolina voters.

Senator Tillis blocked the state from expanding Medicaid in 2013 and bragged about it last year, boasting, “I am the Speaker of the House who signed the bill that made it illegal to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.” He has also thrown his support behind a dangerous lawsuit to end the ACA, voted to “take away” protections for pre-existing conditions, and refused to call for a special enrollment period to help those out of work because of the current crisis access health care.

Experts now say that expanding Medicaid would help an estimated 800,000 North Carolinians, 300,000 more than some previous estimates given the current crisis. Yet Senator Tillis won’t even explain why he’s standing in the way.

Considering the last time Senator Tillis was forced to explain why he’s against expanding Medicaid – a painful interview with WBTV where Tillis danced around the issue before being forced to again reiterated his stance that North Carolina should not expand health care access for working North Carolinians – it’s no wonder he’s now ducking the press and voters on this critical issue.

“People are struggling and out of work, facing a pandemic when access to health care is even more critical than before, yet Senator Tillis refuses to answer for blocking Medicaid expansion in North Carolina,” NCDP spokesperson Robert Howard said. “Even as experts agree that more North Carolinians than previously thought would benefit from expanding Medicaid, Senator Tillis won’t even show up to explain why he’s against it. North Carolinians’ health care won’t be safe until Senator Tillis is out of office.”