Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) says he didn't hold back his vote on healthcare reform legislation just to get more money for his state, "but to fix the unfunded Medicaid mandate for all states."
Nelson was answering criticism from Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said concessions made to win the senator's crucial vote to pass the Senate reform bill were a "rip-off" for California.
Nelson said in a statement issued Sunday that he agrees with Schwarzenegger that "all states should be relieved of this unfunded mandate." But he took a shot at Schwarzenegger's state, saying more Medicaid money "isn't going to solve the $20 billion deficit California has today."
In an interview that that aired on NBC's "Meet the Press," Schwarzenegger said giving extra Medicaid benefits to Nebraska to secure Nelson's vote was "like buying a vote." In Sacramento, Schwarzenegger said, "it is illegal to do that."
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