Health care bill bought with bribes

At 1AM Monday morning, the US Senate is expected to pass the health care insurance "reform" bill having secured the last hold-out vote. Harry Reid and friends used the persuasive language to secure 60 votes. What does that mean for the American people throughout the 50 states?

"You'll find a number of states that are treated differently than other states. That's what legislating is all about. It's compromise,"  Harry Reid

Some pundits say Congress is pushing the health care bill the "Chicago Way" where pay to play is the standard. Which states favored in the health care bill?

In October 2009, Bloomberg posted the following:

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Nevada would get help with its Medicaid bills. The elderly in Florida and New York would receive additional Medicare benefits. And workers in so-called high-risk professions such as firefighting and construction would get a break on a new insurance tax.

Those are provisions that Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, put in an $829 billion health-care bill to shield constituents from measures intended to pay for the biggest overhaul of the medical system in four decades.

A few days ago Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson said, "My vote is not for sale." He was the lone hold-out and his vote was needed to pass the Senate health care bill. Nelson suddenly changed his mind when his state of Nebraska was given an expansion of Medicaid, an exemption for a new insurance tax on non-profit organizations, and for Omaha of Nebraska and Nebraska Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The legislative language can be found at biggovernment.com website.

In November 2009, Senator Mary Landrieu changed her mind on opposing the health care bill and got $100 million for the state of Louisiana. The amendment awarding the monies refers only to the state of Louisiana.

Senator Bernie Sanders supported the health care bill soon after receiving $10 billion for community health care centers in Vermont.

Michigan Senator Carl Levin obtained the exemption for new tax insurance on non-profit organizations.

All states won’t enjoy the protection that others have obtained in the health care bill, but Senator Reid doesn’t see a problem with this type of compromise. The money is not coming from his pocket, it’s the taxpayer’s money.

For more information:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/11/the-100-million-health-care-vote.html

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/12/nelson_not_the_only_senator_to.html

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30815.html