A short time ago, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) announced that she would be become the 59th vote in favor of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s $2.5 trillion health care bill that raises premiums, hikes taxes, and cuts Medicare in exchange for $100 million in additional federal funds for Louisiana.

However, in the original legislation, it was Nevada that was among four states designated to receive a special deal for extra Medicaid funding; a deal Reid vigorously defended in a September 30th speech on the Senate floor — “There is not a single state in the nation that has felt the full force of the foreclosure crisis like Nevada,” Reid said. Soon after, Reid’s embattled re-election campaign started running a campaign ad bragging about his ability to deliver for Nevada, and claiming that Reid is the most “powerful Senator Nevada has ever had.”

Ultimately, however, as Reid desperately sought Democrat votes for his bill, the provision helping Nevada was stripped out, and a $100 million sweetener for Louisiana was inserted.

In response the NRSC released the following statement:

“As with most deals Harry Reid cuts in Washington, advancing the agenda of the special interests on the left was more important today than protecting the interests of Nevada taxpayers. Reid’s new Louisiana Purchase lays bare just how far he will go to ram through a multi-trillion dollar bill that will raise premiums, hike taxes and cut Medicare for Nevada seniors. It also makes clear that when push comes to shove, what’s good for Nevada takes a back seat to what’s best for Harry Reid in Washington. This will be a key issue in next year’s election, and particularly when the polls already show that half of Nevada voters have said they will vote for change next year.” — Brian Walsh, NRSC Communications Director

BACKGROUND:

To help secure her vote, Reid also included a provision in the bill sought by Landrieu to provide increased Medicaid funds for states recovering from major disasters such as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. (Emily Pierce, Landrieu to Vote to Begin Debate, RollCall, 11/21/09)

Harry Reid made quite a big deal out of the special treatment he got for Nevada in the Senate Finance Committee bill back in September — scoring a five-year deal for the feds to cover 100 percent of the expanded Medicaid costs for his economically hurting home state. But in the final version of the Senate bill unveiled last night? No special deal for the home state. (Marty Kady, No special Nevada deal for Reid in health bill, Politico, 11/19/09)

“On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for ‘certain states recovering from a major disaster’ … the bill spends two pages describing [what] could be written with a single world: Louisiana … How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.” (Jonathan Karl, “The $100 Million Health Care vote?,” ABC News, 11/19/09)