U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, joined two Democratic Florida legislators in blasting Gov. Rick Scott and state House Republican leaders for refusing to accept $2.8 billion in federal Medicaid money.

“There are 800,000 Floridians who are not being included in our health care system. It is unfair and it’s inhumane. And it’s illogical–we’re refusing free money,” said Frankel, who was joined by state Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, and House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.

Scott and House leaders are at odds with the Republican-controlled Senate, which favors accepting the Medicaid money to cover about 800,000 uninsured Floridians. Contrary to Frankel’s “free money” characterization, Scott and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, have argued that taking the federal money could eventually leave state taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars.

The impasse led the legislature to end its regular session without approving a budget for the year that begins July 1. Lawmakers will meet in a special session beginning June 1 to try to avoid a shutdown of state government.

Pafford said he believes Scott and House Republicans are really motivated by their dislike of the federal Affordable Care Act.

“What I believe we have here is a situation that is rhetoric, it’s spiteful, it’s callous – all because a few people in the House who just happen to be leaders have a problem with Obamacare and what comes with Obamacare,” Pafford said.

Frankel said Scott’s position doesn’t make sense since he was in Washington last week trying to persuade U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to approve $1.5 billion in federal “Low Income Pool” money for hospitals and other health providers treating uninsured patients.

“What’s illogical to me is that Gov. Scott just was in Washington, D.C., basically begging the federal government to write a check to pay for uncompensated care in Forida’s hospitals. That’s federal money that he wanted. And yet, on the other hand, he’s turning down much more money that would go to the health care of 800,000 more Floridians and keep many of them out of hospitals and give them preventive care,” Frankel said. “The state legislature needs to come together and accept this Medicaid expansion money.”