Rell Joins GOP In Expressing Outrage Over Nebraska Provision
by Christine Stuart | Dec 23, 2009 5:54pm
(9) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Congress, Health Care
Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell fired off a letter to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal Wednesday asking him to sue the federal government if Congress approves multimillion-dollar tax breaks for Nebraska as part of the healthcare bill winding its way through Congress.
A provision written into the massive bill will allow the federal government to pick up 100 percent of the cost of Medicaid expansion in Nebraska to court U.S. Senator Ben Nelson’s vote.
“The inequity of this provision is astonishing,“ Rell wrote in her letter to Blumenthal. “The doling out of favors for senators is appalling. The cost of this federal health care bill is beyond comprehension because of all the special provisions included to garner the 60 votes for passage.”
Blumenthal, a Democrat, seemed to take the governor’s request in stride.
“We will immediately review the Governor’s request, but it is clearly premature at present because there is no Senate-approved bill, let alone a final measure negotiated and voted favorably by both houses of congress,” Blumenthal said in a emailed statement. “A lawsuit to stop or modify a pending bill is legally impossible.”
To the contrary, it is not ‘premature’, Rell’s office said in response to Blumenthal. “The Governor’s letter clearly states that “if this bill passes into law in its present form, I am asking you to immediately pursue legal action on behalf of the State of Connecticut to ensure that Connecticut also receives the 100% reimbursement of costs for this underfunded federal mandate.”
Rell’s letter seems to be part of a national movement of Republican Attorney General’s across the country, who expressed their outrage Wednesday at the “sweetheart deals“ in the Senate Democrats‘ healthcare bill. The ball got rolling with a request from Republicans Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint, who asked South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster to look into the constitutionality of Democrats’ decision to cover all of Nebraska’s future Medicaid recipients.
“While everyone has received something, Nebraska’s “gift” is particularly galling,” Rell wrote in her letter. “In this time of extraordinary fiscal challenge, when states are facing record budget deficits and are seeing HUSKY and Medicaid case loads growing, all could use 100 percent reimbursement.”
Rell’s anger at the provision is also related to the current budget deficit.
Currently the state of Connecticut’s Medicaid account is running a $92.1 million deficit, according to state Comptroller Nancy Wyman.
“In the event that the terms of the Nebraska agreement applied to Connecticut, we have the potential to receive up to $262 million annually in additional federal reimbursement,” Rell said.
(9) Comments
posted by: Smworld1 | December 23, 2009 8:19pm
She is just pissed that no one from CT did it for her!
posted by: jilchrest | December 23, 2009 10:11pm
I couldn’t agree more. We should be opposing these “deals”, even those that benefit us.
In 2008 I voted in favor of open government and public participation.
It’s maddening to see people’s health care needs being used as bargaining chips.
posted by: CT Jim | December 24, 2009 7:18am
Gee,
She didn’t file a lawsuit when Sarah Palin got $425 million for a bridge to no where, never built it but kept the money.
She didn’t file suit when states like Alabama and Georgia consistently got more federal dollars than they paid in taxes while we got less.
And some of that money was spent on infrastructure improvements and tax incentives to corporations that moved their plants from Ct to the southern states. Nope not one peep.
This is just mama Rell trying to take care of the fatcats at Aetna.
Well guys this ship has sailed and you lost.
posted by: CTforFreedom | December 24, 2009 12:47pm
Unfortunately Gov. Rell is looking for handouts for CT too: ‘...to ensure that CT also receives the 100% reimbursement of costs for this underfunded federal mandate.’ She missed an opportunity to take a stand for all Americans (democrats,republicans and independents) and speak out against these shameless pay offs for legislation that a majority of Americans do not want.
Perhaps our next Gov (democrat or republican) will stand up for the citizens of CT when unconstitutional mandates are pushed upon ‘We the People.’
posted by: blue dog dem | December 24, 2009 5:09pm
CT Jim,
You’re absolutely right. Because Rell didn’t complain about Palin, we should pay additional taxes to support NE and other states. Dodd gets $100mm and all I get is more taxes. You’re right, you won, we lost. Now bend over and take it like the rest of us.
posted by: CT Jim | December 25, 2009 11:20am
Hey Blue dog,
Or should I just refer to you by your true status Conservatvie Republican LOL
What my post was saying and most get it is that Rell is doing what she always has done and that is put her party first.
When Republicans across the country had their hand in the till for eight long words not a peep.
The dems are now in control and all of a sudden these people are fiscal conservatives. LOL
you guys are pittiful.
You didn’t mind when Bush told us to bend over and gave OUR surplus to the wealthy, You didn’t mind when Bush was spending a half a trillion a year on two wars and refused to count the number against the deficit.
heaven forbid we provide for OUR citizens like every civilized country in the world does.
The constitution doesn’t say made for the rich and powerful.People like Rell and Palin are just oversized empty paper bags.
posted by: blue dog dem | December 25, 2009 9:46pm
CT Jim,
You’re never one to let facts get in the way of your arguments.
First, I am not a conservative Republican, but am becoming one more each day. Rell is only worried about her party? Seems she runs at a 70% approval rating, so that must not be a bad thing. The reason that the Dems are in total control is that the Republicans moved away from fiscal conservativism, thereby alienaing their party and the independents. Things will change next year as Obama has been the best thing for the GOP since Reagan. BTW, I was never for wasting money when Bush was in office also, but you’re not that bright and can’t understand that some people can think independently rather than follow the party line, like lemmings off a cliff.
posted by: CT Jim | December 26, 2009 8:40pm
Come on Blue Republican,
Who are you BSing?
Rell has been and always will be a shill for the Republican party, why she gets away with it in a blue state has been debated for six years or so and counting.
As for her 70% approval rating that has been dropping and hasn’t been at 70 for some time now.
She also stated she sat next to the most corrupt governor this state has had for nine years and didn’t notice a thing. LOL
Even though the right wing nut jobs spent about a half trillion dollars protecting their own interests in the Health Care debate Obama still comes out at about 50% approval, not bad in most politicos eyes.
And when the #‘s show this Health Care will save money and insure most if not all of americans his #‘s will rebound.
You must think Obama is in year 3 but he hasn’t even finished year one, most presidents spend politcal capitol in the first 2 years and save and restore in the second 2. So your logic is just a little to grade school for me, but if your thinking the republicans are going to be a coming like knights in shining armor there are zero polls that show that anything remotely like that will happen.
Mid-terms are usually a time when the minority can pick up a seat or 2 but if the Republicans keep running low #‘s themselves don’t count on alot, a matter of fact some of their favorites may have trouble defending themselves LOL
As for Reagan, that guy was a total loser and nobody wants to go back to the guy that invented deficit spending, high interest rate and high unemployement.
No Blue Rep you have seven more years of Brack get used to it.
posted by: CT Jim | December 26, 2009 11:18pm
One more thing Blue,
What in the world does Ronnie Reagan and fiscal conservatism have in common???
Heck that guy killed what ever was left of the fiscal conservatives in this country.
Fact is Ronnie boy ran up more red ink than ALL of his predisessors COMBINED!!!
Thats right Blue COMBINED!!!!
Ronnie boy was a social conservative not a fiscal one, and the social conservatives control the party now just like they have for the last 29 years.
The last president to run a surplus was a Democrat as was the last president that ran the country without a national debt.
Under Ronnie we went from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation in the WORLD.
And this is the message that you believe will get Republicans elected????
LMAO!!!!!
