Scott Walker gets in heated exchange with county exec over healthcare

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) got into a heated exchange with a county executive over the GOP plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

The exchange took place between Walker and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson (D) ahead of a Friday press conference regarding tourism.

During the exchange, Nelson could be heard asking Walker: “What is your plan?”

“The plan is I’m going to wait for what the Senate and the president do, and we’ll see from there,” Walker responded.

{mosads}

“So just to be clear folks, just to be clear, the county executive wants to take away from tourism right now and play a political stunt about a topic that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about today,” Walker continued.

“It’s on an issue that was voted in front of the House of Representatives but is not even going forward in the Senate right now. We’ll take a look at it when it goes to the United States Senate. We’re going to lobby in a way that allows us to do the things that we’ve done here in the state of Wisconsin.”

When Nelson told Walker he is the one making it political, Walker shot back: “If you want to play politics, you should run for office.”

“You want to run for governor, run for governor,” Walker said.

Walker said he will address the issue of healthcare as the bill makes its way through the Senate and before it gets to the president.

“Look, this obviously has gotten under your skin,” Nelson said.

“What’s gotten under my skin, ladies and gentlemen, is the fact that someone decided to pull a political stunt and show up at an event about tourism,” Walker responded.

“We will continue to push for plans to allow us to have the plan we enacted, not the one you left us with when you left the state legislature,” he said.

Walker later tweeted it is is a “given” Wisconsin “will ensure coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.”

It is a given that WI will ensure coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

— Governor Walker (@GovWalker) May 5, 2017

Walker said this week he would consider opting his state out of rules governing pre-existing condition coverage after the House GOP passed a healthcare bill allowing such a move.

Nelson told USA Today Network-Wisconsin he asked Walker about his comments regarding pre-existing conditions.

“If (Walker) is serious about this issue, I would be more than happy to invite him back to Outagamie County, sit down with my (health and human services) director and some others and talk through this very important issue because this will have a direct effect on counties, perhaps a huge effect,” Nelson told the publication.