At the same time, he unveiled legislation he or the governor would introduce to authorize the McAuliffe administration to expand coverage on Oct. 1. The proposal would end the requirement that the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission approve expansion by a majority vote of members from the House and Senate. Instead, the commission could block or delay expansion by a simple majority.

“He made it an automatic with a veto, and I don’t think that’s something that’s going to be reasonable,” said Del. John M. O’Bannon III, R-Henrico, one of five House members on the commission who all oppose expansion of Medicaid or creation of a private marketplace under the Affordable Care Act.

O’Bannon said the House would discuss the makeup of the commission membership to ensure fair representation of opposing viewpoints in each chamber. “I still think you’re going to need an affirmative vote and three out of five from each side to do it,” he said.

Hanger said the House risks prolonging the budget battle unless it is willing to compromise on health coverage. “They need to understand that the majority of the Senate are unlikely to move forward unless we’re serious about negotiating our differences and how to proceed with reforms and Medicaid.”