Story highlights McAuliffe has long supported Obamacare's Medicaid expansion

He's been stymied by GOP legislators to expand its coverage

Washington (CNN) Virginia's Democratic governor is using President Donald Trump's failure to repeal Obamacare to heap pressure on Republican state lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe -- who has long supported the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, but has been stymied by GOP legislators in extending the coverage to more than 400,000 Virginians -- announced the push Monday.

"President Trump's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, and even Speaker Ryan has said that Obamacare is the law of the land for the foreseeable future," McAuliffe said in a statement. "The time has come for us to bring our taxpayer dollars back to serve the individuals who need them the most."

McAuliffe's request for a budget amendment that would allow him to expand Medicaid comes as several states are revisiting previous decisions to reject that expansion.

The Republican-led Kansas state senate took up a measure that would expand Medicaid there Monday. And in Maine, more than 70,000 petitioners have secured a 2017 ballot measure to circumvent the Republican governor and expand Medicaid.

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