Brown Praises Calif. Obamacare Rollout, Credits Prop 25 for Budget Health

Governor Jerry Brown says California’s rollout of the new federal health care law is “on solid ground.”  But he’s not willing to declare himself satisfied.

He says there are too many unknowns. “This is a big, huge, impactful program. All the things that are going to follow from it are not clear. So rather than taking satisfaction, I’d rather take precautions,” Brown said at an event in Silicon Valley Monday sponsored by The Atlantic magazine.

The governor says California’s rollout is going better than the national effort, and his health care advisors are cautiously optimistic about the state’s success.

Brown also says President Obama and Congress should follow the strategy California used to address a budget crisis.

“We cut, we taxed and we’re still investing.”

~Governor Jerry Brown

Brown acknowledged the state used a key advantage that the federal government lacks: the voter initiative process. He said California’s Proposition 25 has transformed how the state is governed by removing the supermajority requirement to pass a budget.

“That can’t be done in Washington.  But Washington can cut, tax and invest – and those three things are very important to stabilize and advance our country,” Brown said.