SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators pushed to shore up safety-net spending Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump’s spending and tax cuts, in a state with one of the highest enrollment rates for Medicaid and federal food assistance.

State legislators in the Democratic majority weren't waiting for resolution of the federal budget standoff and government shutdown , as they advanced a bill to expand New Mexico's own insurance subsidies on the Affordable Care Act exchange. Exchange subsidies are a sticking point of the standoff in Washington.

Lawmakers also are seeking new state spending of food assistance, while Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham calls for grants to stabilize health care services in rural areas where clinics and hospitals often rely heavily on Medicaid.

“We’

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