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La., Landrieu win $100 million in health care reform?
by Michael Luke / Eyewitness News
Posted on November 20, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Updated today at 12:36 PM
Related:
Senate Dems moving ahead on crucial health vote
As the Harry Ried, D-Nevada, looks for the votes to pass health care reform, all eyes are turning to Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu. Landrieu’s democratic colleagues are hoping that she’ll be the tipping vote to get the bill passed in the Senate.
Initial reports had three democratic holdouts, including Landrieu, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
But a report by ABC News’ Johnathan Karl says Landrieu is the lone holdout and buried deep – page 432 – is something to sweeten the pot for Landrieu, $100 million in federal Medcaid subsides for states which are recovering from major disasters in the past seven years.
“I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill,” writes Karl.
“In other words, the bill spends two pages describing could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)”
See whole story
Whose pork it is?
It will be interesting to see how this is interpreted in Louisiana, a state that leans conservative, but then it’s rarely called pork when it’s your state that is benefiting from the bill.
The National Review lashed out immediately at Landrieu and Louisiana, saying that Landrieu’s people were proud of the provision and was quick to highlight some of the state’s more dubious honors recently. “And you thought the Pelican State had seen it all. Nearly five years ago, then–Louisiana congressman William Jefferson, a Democrat, hid $90,000 cash in his freezer. Following an FBI bribery sting, he was finally sentenced to 13 years in prison last week. Turns out he was a cheap date,” writes Robert Costa.
See whole story
The price of a vote
Some have gone so far as to say that Landrieu’s vote was bought, which she will likely deny.
“This revelation unfortunately puts Mary Landrieu in an awkward position. If she votes to support health care reform, she will now be seen as supporting a measure that most of her constituents do not favor in exchange for $100 million in pork. If she does not support health care reform, she will be seen as turning down $100 million in much needed relief for the benighted victims of Katrina,” writes Mark Whittington.
Whittington is right that it will put Landrieu in quite the pickle, but it will be equally interesting to hear what Sen. David Vitter has to say about the bill, since he has been an open opponent of the bill now that his state gets a $100 million windfall.
It remains to be seen if the bill will pass, or whether Landrieu will vote for it. But when Landrieu agrees to hold a fundraiser for Harry Reid in New Orleans, this bode well for the bill.
“Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office told the paper the event was planned ‘several weeks ago,’” writes Lisa Mascaro for the Las Vegas Sun
by Michael Luke / Eyewitness News
Posted on November 20, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Updated today at 12:36 PM
Related:
Senate Dems moving ahead on crucial health vote
As the Harry Ried, D-Nevada, looks for the votes to pass health care reform, all eyes are turning to Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu. Landrieu’s democratic colleagues are hoping that she’ll be the tipping vote to get the bill passed in the Senate.
Initial reports had three democratic holdouts, including Landrieu, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
But a report by ABC News’ Johnathan Karl says Landrieu is the lone holdout and buried deep – page 432 – is something to sweeten the pot for Landrieu, $100 million in federal Medcaid subsides for states which are recovering from major disasters in the past seven years.
“I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill,” writes Karl.
“In other words, the bill spends two pages describing could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)”
See whole story
Whose pork it is?
It will be interesting to see how this is interpreted in Louisiana, a state that leans conservative, but then it’s rarely called pork when it’s your state that is benefiting from the bill.
The National Review lashed out immediately at Landrieu and Louisiana, saying that Landrieu’s people were proud of the provision and was quick to highlight some of the state’s more dubious honors recently. “And you thought the Pelican State had seen it all. Nearly five years ago, then–Louisiana congressman William Jefferson, a Democrat, hid $90,000 cash in his freezer. Following an FBI bribery sting, he was finally sentenced to 13 years in prison last week. Turns out he was a cheap date,” writes Robert Costa.
See whole story
The price of a vote
Some have gone so far as to say that Landrieu’s vote was bought, which she will likely deny.
“This revelation unfortunately puts Mary Landrieu in an awkward position. If she votes to support health care reform, she will now be seen as supporting a measure that most of her constituents do not favor in exchange for $100 million in pork. If she does not support health care reform, she will be seen as turning down $100 million in much needed relief for the benighted victims of Katrina,” writes Mark Whittington.
Whittington is right that it will put Landrieu in quite the pickle, but it will be equally interesting to hear what Sen. David Vitter has to say about the bill, since he has been an open opponent of the bill now that his state gets a $100 million windfall.
It remains to be seen if the bill will pass, or whether Landrieu will vote for it. But when Landrieu agrees to hold a fundraiser for Harry Reid in New Orleans, this bode well for the bill.
“Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office told the paper the event was planned ‘several weeks ago,’” writes Lisa Mascaro for the Las Vegas Sun
