Beneficent Ben

Senator Ben Nelson has removed the deal he cut from the Senate healthcare bill which exempted Nebraska from future Medicaid payments. “Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska is asking Senate leaders to eliminate a controversial Medicaid deal for his state in the health care bill. The moderate Democrat, who provided the crucial 60th vote for the Senate health care bill, has been criticized because Nebraska was exempted paying any cost of a proposed expansion of Medicaid. All other states would have to pick up a portion of the tab after the first few years. Nelson’s been arguing ever since that he never wanted a special deal for Nebraska and that he wants all states protected from burdensome new costs. That didn’t quiet the controversy so Nelson took it one step further on Friday and asked for the deal to be withdrawn and replaced with a provision treating all states equally.”