US News

Grudging Christie adds NJ to ObamaCare

WASHINGTON — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie yesterday became the eighth Republican governor to sign on for ObamaCare.

The move was included as part of Christie’s new state budget that will expand Medicaid coverage through ObamaCare to an additional 100,000 people at federal expense.

A generous 100 percent match to cover the costs of new Medicaid recipients was meant to lure states to cover its citizens through the program only to have the reimbursement slowly decline over time.

“We have an opportunity to ensure that an even greater number of New Jerseyans who are at or near the poverty line will have access to critical health services beginning in January of 2014,” Christie said.

But Christie, who refused to join the program through the presidential election, yesterday still criticized it.

“I fought against it and believe, in the long run, it will not achieve what it promises,” Christie said. “However, it is now the law of the land. I will make all my judgments as governor based on what is best for New Jerseyans.”

Christie, a potential 2016 presidential contender, took heat from Republicans for talking up President Obama’s response to Hurricane Sandy. The powerful conservative group CPAC dissed Christie by failing to invite him to its conference next month.