Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman sent a letter to Sen. Ben Nelson urging him to vote against the health care bill, calling it "bad for Nebraska" because of the cost of the Medicaid expansion. The new bill now has the federal government permanently paying 100 percent of the cost to expand Medicaid in Nebraska, while other states will pay 2.2 percent of the price to expand the program to millions of uninsured Americans.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responded Dec. 19 to questions about the new provision for Nebraska. "If you read the bill, you will find a number of states treated differently from other states," Reid said. "That's what legislation is all about. It's called compromise."
Sen. Richard Burr took a harsher view of the provision. "You've got to compliment Ben Nelson for playing the Price is Right." Burr said. "He negotiated a Medicaid agreement for Nebraska that puts the federal government on the hook forever. This isn't the Louisiana Purchase, it's the Nebraska windfall ... this isn't how this process is supposed to work."
