Nelson Says He Wants Medicaid Deal for All States

[thundley4]

Sen. Nelson says he wants Medicaid deal for all states, won't stand for special Nebraska deal

Sen. Ben Nelson said Thursday he's asked Democratic leadership to extend to all states the extra Medicaid funding promised to Nebraska in the health care reform bill.

But the Democrat wouldn't say who he's spoken to regarding the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback" but he'd see to it that Nebraska doesn't get a special deal.

"At the end of the day, whatever Nebraska gets will be available to all states," Nelson said during a conference call with reporters.

In exchange for his crucial support of the reform bill, Nelson was promised federal funding to cover Nebraska's entire cost of a Medicaid expansion included in the bill. Other states will have to begin picking up a portion of the added expanse beginning in 2017.

Nebraska wasn't alone in getting Medicaid breaks. Vermont, Louisiana and Massachusetts also got help with their programs.

Nelson said Thursday that if he can't secure a similar deal for every state, he wants states to be freed from paying the cost of Medicaid expansion. That could mean eliminating the provision, finding another way to pay for it or allowing states to opt out.

  ABC News

Let's see if every state gets that sweet heart deal on Medicaid, then taxes will have to go way up, and the bill will not even be close to revenue neutral.  That means that Nelson won't get anything for voting for for this POS legislation.  Either the polls have him very worried, and they should, or he had this planned.  Does he not realize that it was his vote on this atrocity that pissed people off, not the deal that he got for his state?

[Carl]

  ABC News

Let's see if every state gets that sweet heart deal on Medicaid, then taxes will have to go way up, and the bill will not even be close to revenue neutral.  That means that Nelson won't get anything for voting for for this POS legislation.  Either the polls have him very worried, and they should, or he had this planned.  Does he not realize that it was his vote on this atrocity that pissed people off, not the deal that he got for his state?

I would say it was both but just to assume this is what comes out of reconciliation it means that the "projected" expenses (I know,they were a joke) in what was voted on are entirely different.
This whole sordid event needs to be a campaign commercial starting yesterday.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Perhaps--we may pray--he is looking for political cover to change his vote and thus deny cloture.

[Carl]

Perhaps--we may pray--he is looking for political cover to change his vote and thus deny cloture.

I believe it is too late for that save some parliamentary procedure which the dems are doing their utmost to avoid.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I believe it is too late for that save some parliamentary procedure which the dems are doing their utmost to avoid.

The bill has to be re-voted upon everytime it comes out of their little backroom reconciliation process, that includes cloture...twice.

[thundley4]

The bill has to be re-voted upon everytime it comes out of their little backroom reconciliation process, that includes cloture...twice.

From what I gather, they are screwing us in such a way that they will only need 51 votes in the senate on this compromise.

[Carl]

The bill has to be re-voted upon everytime it comes out of their little backroom reconciliation process, that includes cloture...twice.

http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/04/tnr-dems-to-skip-conference-to

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/04/tnr-dems-to-skip-conference-to

All well and true but everytime it lands on the senate side cloture must be gained.

[Carl]

All well and true but everytime it lands on the senate side cloture must be gained.

I have been looking and have not found an exact answer one way or the other so have been going by what was presented in lieu of Nelsons deal...it was a done deal save for the formality.

I did hear a day or so that Senate Republicans were going to avail themselves of some procedures that could again make a filibuster possible and the dems were somehow meeting behind the scenes to produce a bill that could hit the floor safe from filibuster.

I hope you are correct.

[NHSparky]

Once again, the Beltway Bandits demonstrate their complete contempt for the rule of law and the Constitution, and their complete disconnect from reality.

[DefiantSix]

Ya know, I'm willing to chip in a pallet or 3 of mortar and CMU if I can get a bunch of folks together with me to build a ****in' wall around the outside of the beltway and then cut off all communications links between DC and the outside world.

[Splashdown]

Ya know, I'm willing to chip in a pallet or 3 of mortar and CMU if I can get a bunch of folks together with me to build a ****in' wall around the outside of the beltway and then cut off all communications links between DC and the outside world.

Apparently, there ARE not communications between DC and the outside world, that's why we're getting this healthcare abomination shoved down our throats...

[DefiantSix]

Apparently, there ARE not communications between DC and the outside world, that's why we're getting this healthcare abomination shoved down our throats...

There's no communications getting INTO DC from the outside world; that much is obvious.  What we need to shut down is any communication coming OUT of DC as well.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Suuuuure he does.  Hey, let's send it back to the CBO and have 'em recalc the cost, then.