It looks like there are now sixty votes to pass the Senate bill without any Republican support. After gutting the bill to protect the insurance industry to appease their Senator, Joe Lieberman, it was time to buy off Ben Nelson:
Sen. Mary Landrieu got the “Louisiana Purchase.” Sen. Ben Nelson got the federal government to pick up most his state’s future Medicaid tab — forever.
As part of the deal to win Nelson’s support, the federal government will pay for Nebraska’s new Medicaid recipients. It’s a provision worth about $45 million over the first decade.
It is a miracle that more Senators don’t hold off on promising their vote until they get more in exchange.
