As Democrats plan to push next year for a single-payer health care system in New York, Republican gubernatorial nominee Marc Molinaro says he'd veto it.
"New Yorkers cannot afford a $92 billion additional tax and have government health care where choice is eliminated [and] private insurers are no longer allowed. They've made clear," he said.
Democratic candidate Cynthia Nixon has embraced a bill meant to create a single-payer health care system. Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he would support a plan on the federal level. Either way, full Democratic control of the state Legislature could lead to a renewed and potentially successful push for the legislation.
"The state of New York can't run the subway system in the city. I don't think it's safe or fair to anyone to put the government in charge of health care," Molinaro said.
Molinaro has been the Dutchess County executive for the last decade, but he's no stranger to Albany, having served in the state Assembly. On Thursday, he was in the Lansingburgh section of Troy to endorse Senate candidate Daphne Jordan. Molinaro may need allies in Albany.
"It would be too much economically," said Jordan of single-payer. "You can't have single payer health care, single payer health care. We'd like everyone to be covered, somehow. But I don't think it's doable. It's not feasible."
Four years ago, then-Republican nominee for governor Rob Astorino had a difficult relationship with Senate Republicans, who had worked well with Cuomo. But that relationship has changed, as Cuomo has aligned himself with his own party in the Senate.
"I will work with anyone who is honest and earnest about empowering New Yorkers and solving the problems that face us, which means working across party lines," Molinaro said. "Upstate New York needs the Senate majority, the Republican majority, to be the counterbalance."
Molinaro plans to release a full plan for health care proposals in New York later in the campaign.