ALBANY — Unable to block President Obama’s health-care legislation, Republicans yesterday focused their outrage on Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and the “Cornhusker kickback” Democrats gave him to secure his crucial vote.
Leading the GOP hue-and-cry was former presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, who derided Nelson and other Democrats who got massive legislative payoffs in exchange for their support for the legislation.
“Cornhusker Kickback: The Federal Government will now fund Nebraska’s new Medicaid recipients forever . . . yes folks, forever!!” McCain chortled on his Twitter page.
In exchange for Nelson’s vote on the $871 billion health bill — the key 60th vote needed to overcome unanimous Republican opposition — Democratic leaders guaranteed the federal government would pay the full price of expanded Medicaid coverage in Nebraska.
The $45 million payday for Nelson’s home state came on top of a compromise on federal funding for abortion services demanded by the senator.
Nelson has denied any effort to secure a sweet deal.
“I didn’t ask for a special favor here,” Nelson told CNN.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), however, ridiculed Democratic efforts to placate Nelson as a “kind of smelly proposition,” while his fellow Republicans called attention to a host of legislative goodies they charged were also tucked into the bill to quiet reluctant Democrats.
Those included $100 million in extra Medicare subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster,” which was seen as a benefit for Louisiana Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu.
Another $100 million item to fund construction of a university hospital was inserted at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who hopes the University of Connecticut would qualify for it.
The final bill also granted Medicare coverage to Montanans exposed to asbestos from a vermiculite mine — a pet project of Sen. Max Baucus.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) pushed for a provision to let 800,000 Sunshine State seniors enrolled in private Medicare plans keep extra benefits.
And Vermont’s Sen. Patrick Leahy secured $600 million in Medicaid benefits to make up for a penalty on his state.
But Republicans reserved their most furious attacks for Nelson, who might also benefit from an insurance-tax exemption that some believe targeted Mutual of Omaha.
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-NC) called on his home state’s attorney general to review Nebraska’s special Medicaid aid.
“There are a lot of people — Republicans and Democrats — [who] are upset by this,” Graham said on CNN. “Is it constitutional?”