Reuters

In Texas, Perry took in at least $148 million in Obamacare grants while refusing money tied to the insurance exchange and the Medicaid expansion. He stepped down as governor in January.

Besides the fact that Rick Perry is a huge hypocrite, the EXCUSE for taking federal money while pretending you don't is laughable.

"Governor Perry has long called for flexibility from the federal government so the states can implement health care programs in the best interests of their citizens," spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said.

Code word flexibility="I want to be able to get handouts from the federal government with no strings attached instead of using my own state resources to do what I want". 

Texas Democrats say Rick Perry left more than 1 million Texans without affordable health care

Javier Gamboa, the Democratic Party’s spokesman, reacted in a Feb. 12, 2015, press release: "Perry should be ashamed of himself for saying that the people of Texas did not want increased coverage and expanded access to healthcare. More than one million hardworking Texans are living without affordable care because of his failure to partner with the Legislature to find a Texas solution to closing the coverage gap."

But, another instance of Rick Perry's hypocrisy, the bill he signed actually ENCOURAGES Texans to sign up for Affordable Healthcare

The state has deemed the high-risk pool obsolete, as the Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies participating in the federal marketplace, which launched on Oct. 1, from denying coverage to Texans with pre-existing conditions. Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 1367 in June, scheduling the pool’s abolishment.

The pool will close Jan. 1, and the 23,000 people currently participating in the pool must sign up for coverage on the insurance exchange by Dec. 15 or find coverage elsewhere to avoid a lapse in care.

I don't know if the GOP really wants to claim they take care of citizens, since theyr'e all the time wanting to cut back on social services, including healthcare, for people, but I definitely don't think they're doing it at a state level.I read that JD Sheffield, who is our state representative out of Gatesville, filed a bill to prevent there being state run exchanges. HB 2782