Ethics

Republican AG's Challenging Constitutionality of "Nebraska compromise"

By Ed Brayton

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has joined with several other state AGs to research the question of whether the so-called Nebraska compromise -- incentives added to the Senate health care reform bill to gain the vote of Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson to end the debate and bring the bill to the floor for a vote -- might be unconstitutional. MSNBC reports:

The top prosecutors in seven states are probing the constitutionality of a political deal that cut a funding break for Nebraska in order to pass a federal health care reform bill, South Carolina's attorney general said Tuesday.

Attorney General Henry McMaster said he and his counterparts in Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, North Dakota, Texas and Washington state -- all Republicans -- are jointly taking a look at the deal they've dubbed the "Nebraska compromise."

"The Nebraska compromise, which permanently exempts Nebraska from paying Medicaid costs that Texas and all other 49 states must pay, may violate the United States Constitution -- as well as other provisions of federal law," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on December 28, 2009 (boomark / email).