TRENTON – Senate President Pro Tempore Nia H. Gill (D-Essex/Passaic) issued the following statement on the Medicaid expansion following the governor’s Budget Address on the upcoming FY2014 spending plan:

“New Jersey has historically been at the forefront when it comes to providing our residents with quality health coverage. With the federal government offering to cover in full the Medicaid expansion for the first several years and to pay the majority of the cost going forward, accepting this offer shouldn’t even have been up for debate.

“After months of legislators and advocates championing this issue, the governor has finally seen the value in accepting the Medicaid expansion. This will mean vital health coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured residents and billions of dollars in long-term savings for our state.”