CBO: Cornhusker Kickback for all states would cost $35 billion first three years

Red faced after the national outrage created by the sweetheart deal Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson cut in exchange for his vote for Obamacare, Nelson tried to explain away the selling of his vote by digging the hole he was in even deeper. While always maintaining he was concerned about the cost of Obamacare, Nelson made the preposterous request that all 50 states get the same federal bailout of the huge mandated Medicaid enrollment increases within the Senate and House legislation.

The "cornhusker kickback" as the Nebraska carve out is known, was estimated by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) to cost $100 million. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) requested the CBO calculate the cost of Nelson’s suggestion that all states Medicaid increases be covered by the feds. In a now publicly released letter the CBO says such a scheme would cost $35 billion in just the first three years of operation 2017-19.

In addition to outrage about the cost and fairness issues of the Cornhusker Kickback, more than a dozen State Attorneys General have raised very serious constitutional questions about the odious deal Nelson cut with Harry Reid.

Along with Nebraska, the Senate bill contained special deals for Florida, Massachusetts, Vermont, Louisiana, and Nevada. Over the holidays as the House and Senate tried to compromise their differences, big labor carved out their own $60 billion exemption from the “Cadillac Health Plan” tax in the Senate bill. Last week, Massachusetts voters fired the "Scott heard 'round the world'" with the political shocker of our lifetime in electing Republican Scott Brown in the bluest of blue Democrat dominated states. Yes, it was a choice between Brown and the Democrat Martha Coakley, but it was the clearest possible repudiation of Obama’s first year agenda and the antics of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. The Democrats are reeling and wounded from the message from Massachusetts, but if they fail to heed the message and alter course immediately, the next shot fired may be fatal.