After months of sounding concerns over a bill aiming to replace the federal Affordable Care Act, Nevada’s top two Republicans — Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Dean Heller — officially came out against the Senate version of the bill on Friday.

The joint press conference caps off a roller coaster six months for the two elected officials, caught between past opposition to the federal health care law and concerns that substantially changing it could force hundreds of thousands of Nevadans off their health insurance plans.

Below, we’ve assembled a verbal diary of their recent public statements and positions on attempts to repeal or replace the federal health insurance law over the last six months:

SEN. DEAN HELLER:

"It’s simply not the answer.”

— Press conference with Sandoval, June 23

"Throughout the health care debate, I have made clear that I want to make sure the rug is not pulled out from under Nevada or the more than 200,000 Nevadans who received insurance for the first time under Medicaid expansion. At first glance, I have serious concerns about the bill’s impact on the Nevadans who depend on Medicaid. I will read it, share it with Governor Sandoval, and continue to listen to Nevadans to determine the bill’s impact on our state. I will also post it to my website so that any Nevadans who wish to review it can do so. As I have consistently stated, if the bill is good for Nevada, I’ll vote for it and if it’s not – I won’t.”

— Press release, June 22

"I support seven, I support seven,” Heller said in reference to the number of years for a rollback of expanded Medicaid. “So do a number of us, including [Sen. Rob] Portman [R-Ohio] and others who have been working on this.”

— Quote, The Hill, June 8

"Senator Heller has been working to ensure whatever health care bill is drafted in the Senate works for Medicaid expansion states. This is just one of many policy options that is being discussed along with additional transition relief (i.e. growth rates) to ensure that the rug is not pulled out from underneath Nevadans and the more than 200,000 Nevadans who received insurance for the first time under Medicaid expansion.”

— Statement from Heller spokeswoman, Reno Gazette-Journal, June 8

"As I have stated previously, while I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, I am opposed to the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in its current form. This bill does not do enough to address Nevada’s Medicaid population or protect Nevadans with pre-existing conditions. The AHCA is a first step, but not the solution; now the Senate is doing its own work to put forth its own ideas that could work for states like Nevada. I remain engaged in discussions with my colleagues from Medicaid expansion states as well as Governor Sandoval, the Administration, and senators on both sides of the aisle to find a viable path forward.”

— Press release, May 24

"I want to repeal Obamacare in a way that benefits Nevadans, but I think that the current bill falls short. I will not support it in its current form in the Senate, and am confident that what the Senate considers and approves will be different from the House bill. We cannot pull the rug out from under states like Nevada that expanded Medicaid and we need assurances that people with pre-existing conditions will be protected.”

— Reno Gazette-Journal, May 4

"I want this thing to go away. I really do want to put this away. And I will do everything I can to get to a yes. But what I do want is an opportunity to talk with this administration about some of the concerns that I have here in the state of Nevada. If you’re always a yes, you can’t get their attention. You can’t get their attention.”

— Politico, April 14

"They’re talking about 2020, now they’re talking about making the changes in 2018. That’s not enough time for Nevada to adjust. We need time to adjust. I want to move that thing up four or five years.”
"My argument with the Republicans is if we’re going to make the changes, don’t repeal the Affordable Care Act so you can keep all the taxes. I think that’s unfair and I don’t think that’s a responsible way to move forward.”

— Politico, March 13

 

GOV. BRIAN SANDOVAL:

"Nevada is in a much better place that it was six years ago, four years ago, even two years ago. And I want to keep that momentum going because your health is the base of everything.”

— Press conference, The Nevada Independent June 23

"My office and the Department of Health and Human Services are reviewing the bill and will assess its potential effect on all Nevadans. I am disappointed that Congress did not include us in the consideration of this bill and we have not seen it until today. While the current health care system needs improvement, it remains my priority to protect Nevada’s expansion population to ensure our most vulnerable, especially individuals with mental illness, the drug addicted, chronically ill, and our children, will always have access to health care. Preliminarily, it appears that the proposed bill will dramatically reduce coverage and will negatively impact our future state budgets, which causes me great concern. My office is in regular communication with Senator Heller’s office and I have had ongoing discussions with the Senator about the impact of health care reform on the State of Nevada."

— Statement, The Nevada Independent June 22

"It calls into question coverage for the vulnerable and fails to provide the necessary resources to ensure that no one is left out, while shifting significant costs to the states. Medicaid provisions included in this bill are particularly problematic. Instead, we recommend Congress address factors we can all agree need fixing.”

— Letter sent by Sandoval and other governors to congressional leadership, The Nevada Independent, June 16.

“I think the House bill has a two-year ramp, I’ve heard seven, I’ve heard five. Obviously my preference is that it stay the way it is, that has always been something that I’ve spoken for and fought for on behalf of the newly eligibles. It’s working — we have brought down our uninsured rate. We were one of the worst if not the worst in the country, to being one of the most improved rates in that regard.”

— Quote, The Nevada Independent, June 13

“Until I am satisfied and convinced that it’s going to protect those 300,000 plus people, I won’t be signed onto it.”

— Quote, The Nevada Independent, March 9

"Though I have never liked the Affordable Care Act because of the individual mandate it places on citizens, the increased burden on businesses and concerns about access to health care, the law has been upheld by the Supreme Court. As such, I am forced to accept it as today’s reality and I have decided to expand Nevada’s Medicaid coverage. My fiscal year 2014-2015 budget will provide 78,000 additional Nevadans with health insurance coverage through Medicaid, which is estimated to save the state general fund approximately $17 million dollars in mental health savings. My executive budget will also help Nevada businesses cope with the burden placed on them by decreasing the modified business tax. My decision to opt-in assists the neediest Nevadans and helps some avoid paying a health care tax penalty. As part of my proposal, I will also call upon the Legislature to pass Medicaid patient responsibility cost-sharing measures.”

— Press release Dec. 11, 2012

Caption: Senator Dean Heller, right, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval speak with media inside the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas on Friday, June 23, 2017. Daniel Clark/The Nevada Independent