Gov. Jay Nixon, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to argue for expansion of Medicaid

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver will argue for expansion of Medicaid at a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at St. James United Methodist Church, 5540 Wayne Ave.

Nixon was to speak out in favor of Medicaid expansion at a similar meeting Thursday night in St. Louis. He has traveled the state the last two years urging Missouri to accept more than $1.7 billion in federal money to expand Medicaid to about 300,000 poor adults under the Affordable Care Act.

Republicans have consistently rejected the idea, but have proposed other changes to the health-care program for the poor.

The GOP-led General Assembly has given little indication that it will go along with Nixon, at least this year.

Also speaking at Monday’s meeting will be state Rep. Noel Torpey, an Independence Republican, who chaired a House committee last summer that toured the state taking testimony from Missourians on the issue.

This story was originally published March 13, 2014 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Gov. Jay Nixon, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to argue for expansion of Medicaid."