WILLIAMSBURG — State leaders were divided by party lines Saturday at the National Governors Association meeting on whether they would expand their Medicaid systems after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama's signature health-care law.

While the governors slipped in and out of committee meetings on topics like veterans' care, commerce and homeland security, many took time to address their stances on the controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in 2010.

Most Republican governors said they would wait until the aftermath of the presidential election before deciding how to implement the law.

Democrats countered that Republican governors were delaying the decision-making process for political reasons as the election approaches. Republican GOP nominee Mitt Romney has pledged to repeal the law. National polling has shown the Affordable Care Act as a whole is unpopular with voters, but individual provisions of the law — like providing access to care for people with pre-existing conditions — remain popular.

While the U.S. Supreme Court largely upheld the Affordable Care Act in a 5-4 vote last month, the court ruled the federal government could not penalize states that did not opt into the proposed expansion. Medicaid provides health insurance to poor and low-income families.

Gov.Martin O'Malleyof Maryland, who heads the Democratic Governor's Association, said Virginia and other states may put businesses in jeopardy if they don't move to enact benefits of the health reform law. He said McDonnell might be persuaded eventually to implement the Medicaid expansion and insurance exchanges.

"He's on the fence now, which is positive," said O'Malley, referring to McDonnell. "When he meets with hospital executives or other people in health care, whether they're doctors or nurses, it's hard to make an honest argument on the math that this is not a good deal for states like Virginia."

But O'Malley added "…states that delay too long run the very real risk of putting their businesses and their economy at a competitive disadvantage to other states. They're going to be behind the curve in controlling those wasted costs."

But not all Democrats were immediately joining the call to expand Medicaid. North Carolina Gov. Bev. Perdue, who decided not to seek re-election this year, said "we'll just listen to the data and try to evaluate, and I'll work with the leaders in the General Assembly trying to prepare them for the decision they'll make next January." She said it would be difficult to approve anything without some action from the legislature.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican U.S. Senator who is now an Independent, said his state was "moving aggressively" to push through reforms from the Affordable Care Act.

McDonnell told the Daily Press he could not make a decision until he receives a response from the Obama Administration about key questions posed in a letter from him and other Republican governors.

"I absolutely won't expand Medicaid in my state if we don't have substantial reform," McDonnell told the Daily Press in an interview Friday afternoon.

Calling the law an "incredible expansion of federal power," he said "until we get more answers and more certainty I don't have enough information to tell you whether it's a good idea."

Governors spent portions of Saturday afternoon meeting in sessions that were closed to the press, including a luncheon.

After lunch, McDonnell huddled in a closed office with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is also mentioned frequently as a possible vice-presidential choice for Romney. Roaring laughter was heard from the room during the conversation, which lasted for more than 15 minutes. Christie emerged and didn't take any questions.

The conference will conclude Sunday in Williamsburg.