Mike Pence makes nice with John Kasich

COLUMBUS - Vice President Mike Pence sought to smooth over a kerfuffle with Gov. John Kasich Saturday evening, while still saying Ohio represents a "case study in Obamacare's collapse."

Kasich and Pence got in a tiff this month over their conflicting views on GOP efforts to scrap Obamacare. Kasich did not attend Pence's speech at the Ohio Republican Party's annual state dinner Saturday, citing a family conflict. Both he and Pence made appearances at a private reception before the dinner. 

"John and I occasionally have differences of opinion," Pence said at the dinner, to chuckles. "There's one thing we can all agree on. Ohio is a great state, and John Kasich has done a great job as governor of the state of Ohio."

Kasich's criticism of President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress had put him at odds with Pence. He has spoken out against every GOP effort this year to repeal and replace Obamacare, often citing proposals to curtail federal money for Medicaid expansion.

More than a week ago, Pence appeared to strike back at Kasich. During a speech July 14 at the National Governors Association, Pence mentioned Kasich's name as he touted proposed cuts to Medicaid.

“In Ohio alone,” Pence said, “nearly 60,000 disabled citizens are stuck in waiting lists (for Medicaid), leaving them without the care they need for months or even years.” Although the transcript was not clear, Pence seemed to suggest Kasich must be “very troubled” by that wait list.

Pence's assertion was wrong, Kasich's staff said. Health care for low-income Ohioans covered by Medicaid expansion is paid for differently than health care for people with developmental disabilities.

On Saturday, Pence avoided talking about Medicaid in Ohio, which Kasich expanded in 2013 over the heads of GOP lawmakers. Instead, Pence told the story of a Buckeye who received insurance on the Obamacare exchange, but couldn't find a local doctor who would take the insurance.

A spokesman for Kasich declined to comment on Pence's remarks Saturday about Obamacare in Ohio.

Kasich isn't the only Ohio Republican to oppose the latest proposal to repeal Obamacare. Sen. Rob Portman last week drew the ire of conservatives when he said he would oppose scrapping former President Barack Obama's health care law without a replacement. A repeal-only bill would leave too much uncertainty in a health care market that is losing insurers, Portman said.

He reiterated those views Saturday at the Ohio GOP dinner.

"Let’s do the hard thing," Portman said. "Let’s replace this with something that works better for Ohio."

Pence said he and Trump supported a repeal-and-replace effort as well. He lauded the latest bill in the GOP Senate, which currently lacks a path to passage. He also spoke favorably of the option Portman opposes, which Pence called an attempt to repeal Obamacare and replace it "later."

"It’s solely up to Republican senators to rescue Americans from that disastrous policy," Pence said. "Inaction is not an option."

Jessie Balmert and Deirdre Shesgreen contributed to this report.