* Yesterday, Gov. Rauner was asked this question by Bernie Schoenburg…

Governor, there’s supposed to be a vote in Washington this week by the House on the health care plan that Paul Ryan has crafted with some changes. It clearly would have—I think it block grants Medicaid—at least some state fiscal issues because of it. Are you recommending one way or another for how our delegation should vote on that plan?

* Rauner’s response…

I’m very troubled, very worried about the changes coming in Medicaid for the nation. I’m very concerned about the changes to the Affordable Care Act. Now, let me say, the Affordable Care Act is broken and needs to change. Needs big changes. It’s not working. So I applaud them for trying to take on changes. When you look at what’s happened in our exchanges. I mean, insurance companies are dropping off, we don’t have competition. And look at the insurance rates on the exchanges, I mean good grief. I mean they’ve gone through the roof. It’s not working.

What we’re doing, I’m talking to members of our congressional delegation. I’m talking to members of the Trump administration. I’m talking to other governors. I’m trying to take a united stand with other governors. It’s hard, because some states expanded their Medicaid population, others didn’t. It’s a very disparate group. Trying to develop consensus is hard.

My sense is whatever gets voted on will probably change quite a bit in the Senate. And this is the process, I don’t think it’s going to get done quickly, this is my expectation. But we’re talking to people, I’m pretty much talking to people every day about this. What I won’t do - I know you’d like me to, but I won’t - I won’t negotiate in the press about what we’re advocating. I’m saying move slowly, move thoughtfully, we need to transition this in a careful way. We’ve got to minimize the hurt to peoples’ lives while we change the system.

As long as he’s doing what he says he’s doing, then that response is not bad at all for a Republican governor. Plus, he’s right. At the moment, anyway, it’s just a bill. Why start burning DC bridges when he’s already lit most of Illinois’ on fire? Again, if he’s actually working behind the scenes to make sure we don’t get the short end of the stick, then I’m cool with that. We’ll see how the delegation votes, particularly those members who are closest to Rauner’s inner circle (Rodney Davis, for one).

Frankly, I wish he’d incorporate the notions of not negotiating via press conference and not constantly hectoring other political actors about how to do their jobs in his governing style here. Might improve things a bit.

* But other GOP governors have said far more…

Four sitting Republican governors have come out against the GOP health care bill.

In a joint letter sent Thursday to the leaders of the House and Senate, the governors of Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and Arkansas argued that the “current version” of the American Health Care Act in the House hurts states.

“It provides almost no new flexibility for states, does not ensure the resources necessary to make sure no one is left out, and shifts significant new costs to the state,” the letter says.

* So, the Democratic Governors Association today added Rauner to its “Chicken Caucus” roster…

Today, the DGA named Governor Bruce Rauner to the inaugural class of the “Chicken Caucus,” 15 gubernatorial candidates who refuse to take a position on the U.S. House health care bill.

The 15 inaugural members include three sitting governors and 12 candidates, from a total of 10 different states up for election in 2017-18.

Democratic and at least 15 Republican governors around the country have raised concerns about the impact of the House health care bill on states. Four Republican governors wrote a joint letter to Congressional leaders last week saying the bill “shifts significant new costs to states.”

While other Republican governors have spoken up for their states, these members of the “Chicken Caucus” have refused to take a stand or even give voters a clear yes-or-no answer on the bill.

…Adding… US Rep. Randy Hultgren is not loving the bill…

In a letter to Ryan, Hultgren says that, even after some changes, the American Health Care Act “would adversely and unfairly affect the state of Illinois” and jeopardize coverage for many of the 40,000 poor children in his district alone.

“From where I sit, the (proposal) as written would stop funding health care for thousands of children, only to obtain miniscule cost savings, and trigger loss of coverage for kids who lack the resources and experience to get it elsewhere,” Hultgren writes in a letter released by his office.

That’s true because the plan would lock Illinois into a funding scheme that gives it less federal money for Medicaid than other states get—and then cut those levels, Hultgren continues.

“Illinois would be stuck permanently in last place . . . (and) its enrollees would be treated as if their health needs are less important just because of where they live.”