Sen. Nelson, responding to Schwarzenegger, calls for more Medicaid funding for all states

Sen. Nelson: More Medicaid funding for all states

WASHINGTON — Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson said Sunday he didn’t hold back his vote on health care legislation just to get more money for his state, “but to fix the unfunded Medicaid mandate for all states.”

Nelson was answering criticism from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said concessions made to win the Democratic senator’s crucial vote were a “rip-off” for California.

“I agree with Gov. Schwarzenegger that all states should be relieved of this unfunded mandate,” Nelson said in a statement issued Sunday.

But he took a shot at Schwarzenegger’s state, saying “relief from an unfunded mandate that kicks in seven years from now isn’t going to solve the $20 billion deficit California has today.”

Last week, Nelson said that if he can’t secure a similar deal for every state, he wants states to be freed from paying the cost of Medicaid expansion. He reiterated that point Sunday, saying, “I am aggressively seeking an opt-out or full funding for all states.” That could mean eliminating the provision, finding another way to pay for it or allowing states to opt out.

Nelson provided the crucial 60th vote that brought the reform bill to the full Senate after winning concessions to limit the availability of abortions in insurance sold in newly created exchanges. Among other things, he was promised federal funding to cover Nebraska’s entire cost of a Medicaid expansion included in the bill. Other states will have to begin picking up a portion of the added expanse beginning in 2017.

In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Schwarzenegger said giving extra Medicaid funding to Nebraska to secure Nelson’s vote was “like buying a vote.”

In Sacramento, Schwarzenegger said, “it is illegal to do that.”