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Vice President Mike Pence is expected to bring the national debate over the future of health care and federal spending priorities to Louisiana business leaders on Wednesday.

Pence will hold a listening session with Louisiana job creators and small business ownersat Cajun Industries in West Baton Rouge Parish to hear first-hand about the state of the economy and health care. His closed-door meeting with them will be followed by a public address.Pence, a Republican and former governor of Indiana, is expected to arrive in Baton Rouge via Air Force Two at around 10:20 a.m.

Pence's appearance comes just a day after Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, blasted the Trump administration's budget plan for the coming fiscal cycle as turning a "blind eye to the needs of the state of Louisiana."

Edwards is expected to meet with Pence upon his arrival at the Baton Rouge airport.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville; U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge; and CMS Administrator Seema Verma are expected to join the vice president for a third trip to Louisiana in the past year.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a $4.1 trillion spending proposal that includes deep cuts to safety-net programs for the poor, including Medicaid and food stamps. Meanwhile, it calls for increases to military spending and border security.

It leans on the passage of a GOP-backed overhaul of the federal health care law, which has been tepidly received by the Senate following swift passage in the House earlier this year.

As it passed the House, the American Health Care Act would scale back the expansion of Medicaid that Louisiana rolled out in July 2016. More than 428,000 Louisiana residents have enrolled in Medicaid in the months since the eligibility was expanded.

Across our state, thousands of working poor people receive lifesaving health care treatment thanks to Medicaid expansion, and we are saving Louisiana taxpayers a significant amount of money in the process," Edwards said in a statement. "The presidents budget proposal would rip this health coverage from the hands of the people who need it most, and states like Louisiana would be left with very few options."

Mick Mulvaney, budget director for the Trump administration, defended the budget proposal during a press briefing on Tuesday. He said that the AHCA will provide more flexibility in Medicaid, for example, lowering costs.

"Everyone is interested in seeing the truly needy in their state and in our nation get the care that we promised them in Medicaid," Mulvaney said. "But there's a better way to do it than under current law, which is Obamacare."

During the presidential campaign, Pence joined Trump to see first-hand the devastation after historical floods swept across the Baton Rouge metro area. He then took part in a rally in New Orleans for Kennedy.

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President-elect Donald Trump told nearly 5,000 cheering fans who gathered in Baton Rouge on

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

A young supporter is looked after while waiting during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Supporters go through security for a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Rep. Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip, speaks during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence, center, takes his picture taken with a supporter using her cell phone during his visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence, center, has his picture taken with a baby during his visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Protesters line street during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, right, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

A young supporter is looked after while waiting during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence speaks during a visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Supporters go through security for a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Rep. Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip, speaks during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence, center, takes his picture taken with a supporter using her cell phone during his visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Vice President elect Mike Pence, center, has his picture taken with a baby during his visit to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Protesters line street during a visit by Vice President elect Mike Pence to New Orleans to campaign for GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, left, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

GOP Senate candidate John N. Kennedy, right, and Vice President elect Mike Pence wave to the crowd during a visit by Vice President elect to New Orleans to campaign for the GOP Senate candidate at a rally at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday Dec. 3, 2016.

Follow Elizabeth Crisp on Twitter, @elizabethcrisp.

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