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Sununu Backs Multi-State Effort to Defend Obamacare before SCOTUS

Dan Tuohy / NHPR

Governor Chris Sununu says his opposition to the Affordable Care Act hasn't changed, but that it makes sense for New Hampshire to join a multi-state effort to defend the law from legal challenge.

Sununu has had a complicated relationship to the health care law often known as Obamacare. He described it as a failure and and celebrated efforts to repeal it. But he's also signed a reauthorization of Medicaid Expansion -- a provision of the law that's brought the state millions of dollars to pay for heath care.

Now, after months of pressure from Democrats and Obamacare defenders, Sununu says it's time for New Hampshire to throw in with the 17 other states fighting a Supreme Court challenge to the law.

"There is no replacement right now, so to not defend what's going on would be very problematic," Sununu says. "You are talking about hundreds of million of dollars, tens of thousands of citizens whose healthcare would be completely upended, and my job is to make sure that New Hampshire's interests are served, so defending this is definitely the right thing to do."

The state Democratic Party says Sununu's current support for the ACA amounted to an election year stunt.

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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