WASHINGTON _ The Democratic National Committee is launching an ad campaign in Louisiana specifically focusing on Medicaid and putting pressure on one of its senator's votes on the Republican health care bill.
The ad by the DNC features a single mom named Krista who has three children _ one of whom has autism, the other with seizures, and the youngest with behavioral problems _ who benefited from Medicaid expansion in the state.
"If they didn't have the Medicaid, then they wouldn't have been able to see the specialists," Krista says in the video.
The ad comes as the state's Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy is seen as a crucial vote for the Senate legislation.
Sabrina Singh, deputy communications director for the committee, said the ad would be amplified on all digital platforms both in Louisiana and nationally.
"Democrats will continue to stand by Krista and others who believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and we will continue to fight each day until that becomes a reality for every American," she said in an email.
Cassidy expressed concerns about Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's amendment that would allow insurance companies to sell plans that don't comply with the 2010 health care law's regulations.
Democrats are hoping Medicaid expansion under the 2010 law could be a rallying point in Louisiana, which has one of the largest populations to benefit from the program.
Initially, Louisiana did not accept Medicaid expansion under former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal.
But when Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards won in 2015, he accepted Medicaid money and has hailed it as progress.
Last week, Louisiana's Department of Health released a report showing that in a year since enrollment in the state began, 433,412 adults are enrolled in Medicaid.
But that's not to say all parts of the law are equally popular in the state. A poll from April by Louisiana State University reported by the Times Picayune found that 51 percent of people disapproved of the law, which was down from 58 percent in 2014.
But the same poll found that 51 percent of Republicans and 73 percent of independents support Medicaid expansion in the state.
