Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Politics:

Harry Reid: ‘I make no apologies’ on Medicaid deal

John McCain, other Republicans critical of Reid on Senate floor

Harry Reid

AP Photo/Harry Hamburg

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gestures while speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, after the weekly policy luncheons.

Click to enlarge photo

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid takes part in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009.

WASHINGTON -- Facing backlash from Senate Republicans over the Medicaid deal Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struck for Nevada, Reid said today he makes no apologies for getting better treatment for his state.

“I make no apologies, none, for helping people in my state and our nation who are hurting the most,” Reid said this afternoon on the Senate floor.

Last week, Reid secured a deal in the health reform legislation to give Nevada and three other states hard hit by the recession 100 percent funding for the proposed Medicaid expansion in the bill.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and other Republicans complained today during a debate on the Senate floor that Reid had cut a sweetheart deal.

“They got a special deal for four states, one of them being the state of Nevada,” McCain said. “Who pays? Who pays? The other states."

Reid pratically dared his opponents to complain about the aid he had secured for the struggling states -- especially in Nevada, which has been hard hit with the nation's highest foreclosure rate for 31 months in a row.

"Let people come and complain about trying to help Medicaid recipients in Nevada," Reid said.

“Let me repeat,” Reid said, I make absolutely no apologies for helping Michigan, Rhode Island, Oregon and my state of Nevada.”

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