President Barack Obama toured the Port of New Orleans on Friday to tout the economic benefits of rising exports, but he also took the opportunity to speak with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) about expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
“Here in Louisiana, that benefits about 265,000 people,” Obama told supporters, with Jindal in the audience. “And already, you have seen states, Arkansas is covered, taken this up and they’re covering almost 14% of their uninsured. Republican governors in states like Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, are doing it, too. Oregon has already reduced the number of uninsured by about 10%, and you know, some of these folks oppose Obamacare. But they did support helping their citizens who can’t get coverage.”
Currently 25 states (plus D.C.) have decided to expand the program, with 25 states — mostly with Republican governors or GOP-controlled legislatures — declining.
