Augusta, Maine – Ahead of tonight’s Second Congressional District debate, the Maine Democratic Party is calling out Paul LePage’s record on health care, including his repeated efforts as governor to block Medicaid expansion in Maine.

During his eight years as governor, LePage vetoed Medicaid expansion six times – blocking health coverage for 80,000 Mainers. After Maine voters approved Medicaid expansion at the ballot box in 2017, LePage’s administration resisted implementing the law.

Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman released the following statement:

“Paul LePage spent eight years showing Maine people exactly where he stands on health care. As governor, he repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion and fought efforts to provide health coverage to tens of thousands of Mainers.

“Even after Maine voters went around him and enacted Medicaid expansion by popular vote, his administration flatly refused to take the actions to expand health care that the law explicitly required. I saw that flagrant disregard for the will of Maine people firsthand as a volunteer lawyer on the team that took him to court to insist that he follow that law.

“Now Paul LePage is asking Second District voters to send him to Washington, where Congress makes decisions that directly affect Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and rural hospitals across Maine.

“Mainers deserve to know LePage’s record as they hear from him tonight. For eight years, we saw the decisions he made on health care. That record alone is enough to tell us what choice voters must make this November. Matt Dunlap will protect health care for Maine; Paul LePage is indifferent to health care even when Maine voters demand it.”