Nelson has recently complained that the proposed expansion of Medicaid to those earning below 133% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) would burden his state of Nebraska and suggested that states should be able to opt-in to the program.That supposedly gets us to 60 votes.
Under the current merged legislation (the version unveiled on November 18th), the federal government fully finances care for the expanded population for two years and increases its matching funds (known as FMAP) thereafter. Page 98 of the managers amendment specifically identifies Nebraska for higher federal matching funds, fully funding its expansion for an additional year.
[UPDATE 11:10 AM] As expected, Ben Nelson is now being pillaged by the Wingers as "Judas" and "Just another liberal". What, did you think the Republicans were going to want you to keep your job, Ben?
What's the lesson here, I wonder.
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The lesson here has been on the President's side, this was his freshman year in office and he has had to hit the ground running in a way not necessary since FDR inherited the Depression. Today's weekly address calls for an "up or down vote" to let the bill come to the floor, it took him 10 months but he seems to have concluded that Congress needs more public pressure from him.
You can also see him start to hit his stride via the accounts of him crashing the developing countries' meeting and forcing them to put something on paper. It is the slow grind of progress, but the wheels are turning.
Nothing worth doing is ever easy.
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