Jeb Bush went after Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s long-held defense of his expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare.
“Expanding Obamacare is what we are talking about,” the former Florida governor said during the GOP debate Saturday night on CBS. “Obamacare’s expansion is creating further debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren.”
Kasich’s Ohio is one of about 30 states that accepted the Medicaid expansion, which is paid for by the federal government for the first three years.
Kasich has defended the decision throughout his campaign, saying the move has saved the state money by treating drug addicts and keeping them out of prison.
“Our Medicaid programs are becoming below cost estimates,” he said. “We want everyone to rise and we will make them personally responsible for the help that they get.”
Kasich added that he isn’t pro-Obamacare and pointed out that President Ronald Reagan expanded Medicaid five times.
The heat from Bush comes less than a week after Kasich took second place in the New Hampshire primary and Bush fifth.
