GOP sharpens attack on Democratic healthcare bill

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Part of the cost of securing key votes for healthcare overhaul comes down to dollars and cents as well as politics, so Republican senators today argued that other states should get the same benefit that was given to ensure a key Democratic vote.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) won changes on tougher restrictions on abortion funding in order to get his vote. But he was also given language that the GOP says pays 100% of his state’s added costs to fund the expansion of Medicaid that the bill requires. That costs about $45 million in Medicaid payments.

But the sore point is that Nebraska got something that other states, equally hard hit by budget woes, did not get.

“If this bill is good for all states, it should be applied to all states,” Minority Leader Jon Kyl of Arizona unsuccessfully argued.

Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) was pointed in his version of the same tactic.

“Other states are hurting as well,” Enzi said. “I would ask unanimous consent that” the Democratic healthcare amendment that gives money to Nebraska “be set aside to offer an amendment so that Colorado, Montana and Virginia get the same benefit that provides 100% funding to the state of Nebraska forever.”

Sen Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the Democratic floor manager, replied, “As enticing as that may sound, I object.”

-- Michael Muskal
twitter.com/LATimesmuskal