Landrieu: I’ll Vote for New Government Health Care, If You Fix Old Government Health Care

There has been a lot of talk about Sen. Mary Landrieu’s new-found 100 million reasons to support Sen. Reid’s health care bill. As she channeled her inner-Hamlet about whether or not she would support her majority Leader on a procedural vote today, Sen. Landrieu won language that would pump at least another $100 million into Louisiana’s Medicaid system.

Many have framed this as Sen. Landrieu “selling” her vote, which makes me think that she’s a pretty cheap date. When fully implemented, the Reid health care plan–under the most optimistic assumptions–will cost at least $200 billion a year. An extra $100 million here or there is a rounding error. $100 million is what you get to vote for the Postal Reauthorization, not the most sweeping revamp of our nation’s health care delivery system. If I were cast in the role of one of the “undecideds” on this bill, which to Sen. Reid is numbers one, two and three on his priority list, I’d hold out for at least $1 billion. But then, I’m from Illinois.

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Tags: cloture vote, government health care, health care politics, Mary Landrieu, Medicaid
Posted Nov 21st 2009 at 8:31 am in Congress, Healthcare | 3481498 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/mikeflynn/2009/11/21/landrieu-ill-vote-for-the-new-government-health-care-if-you-fix-the-old-government-health-care/Landrieu%3A+I%27ll+Vote+for+New+Government+Health+Care%2C+If+You+Fix+Old+Government+Health+Care2009-11-21+15%3A31%3A51Mike+Flynn