Buy Partisan Support

Last year at this time, I wrote the tongue-in-cheek article entitled: All I Want for Christmas is a Senate Seat. I was inspired by then Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s alleged entrepreneurial efforts to sell a Senate seat on the open market. Back then, I thought it was just a one-time opportunity to whimsically explore the possibility of buying one’s way into our Federal government. A year later, I see that the concept has been taken to new levels of audacity.

Witness the recent dealings surrounding the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” as passed by the United States Senate … or should I say “as marketed” within the United States Senate. In a grand display of bipartisanism (i.e., cooperation between Democrats who voted for the bill based on principle … and Democrats who voted for the bill based on economic inducements), new evidence has surfaced as to how much a seat in our government may be worth. While my original guess in All I Want for Christmas is a Senate Seat was $8.5 million, I’m beginning to rethink the math. It appears to be taking $100 million or more just to buy a Senator’s vote these days! Of course, as “trillions” have now replaced “billions“ as the standard political metric, I guess this type of inflation is reasonable to expect. For example:

In return for her support, Senator Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana secured $300 million to fund the mandated expansion of Medicaid within her state, while most other states will be required to add enrollees to their Medicaid programs without any Federal funds to pay for the additional costs.

Similarly, Senator Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont negotiated $250 million in favorable Medicaid payment treatment for his state over a six-year period, and Massachusetts will receive a temporary “stay” of Medicaid payments as well. This latter benefit may have been orchestrated to honor the recently departed Senator Ted Kennedy (D), “The Lion of the Senate,” who worked so diligently throughout his career to drive for such legislation ... even though “driving” was never really his core competency.

An appropriation of $100 million was made in the bill to fund construction of a health care facility “at a public research university in the United States that contains a state’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd is pursuing this appropriation vigorously since his state is one of the few that qualifies under the definition. If the Health and Human Services Department (which controls the appropriation) fails to award it to the University of Connecticut, no worries … I’m sure Senator Dodd can probably get a favorable loan for the project from Countrywide Financial.

Montana Senator Max Baucus (D) successfully lobbied for Medicare coverage for every miner exposed to asbestos poisoning … as long as they worked at a mine in Libby, Montana. But hey, expansive social change has to start somewhere! Additionally, there are formulae in the bill that allow doctors and hospitals in Montana (as well as North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) to get paid more than doctors and hospitals in other states. Then again, from a population standpoint, there probably aren’t enough doctors and hospitals in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah or Wyoming to make the disparity too significant.

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson (D) is projected to have earned $100 million for his constituency in return for his willingness to cast the deciding vote. As a result, Nebraska will be exempt from the cost of mandatory Medicaid expansion. Instead, the Federal government will be picking up 100 percent of the tab … in perpetuity. Personally, if medical costs rise as expected in the future, I think the “perpetuity” aspect of this deal makes it worth a lot more than $100 million.

Besides, Senator Nelson also fashioned an exemption from the insurance tax on non-profit insurers. His exemption only applies to the Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company in (you guessed it) Nebraska and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Non-Profit Plan in Michigan. Michigan was a “throw in” since Michigan Senator Carl Levin (D) couldn’t get the job done on his own. Does anyone want to bet on whether Senator Levin will return the favor sometime in the near future?

Big Ben also “clocked” the bill for one other special benefit that pertains to the small number of physician-owned hospitals that are being built around the country; one of which is being built in Bellevue, Nebraska. Senator Nelson was able to have certain deadlines extended in the bill that will allow the physician-owned hospital in Nebraska to circumvent a future Senate ban against receiving referrals from the doctors who own them.

Not to get your “Nelsons” confused: Florida Senator Bill Nelson (D) was able to have the Medicare Advantage benefits of the hundreds of thousands of seniors in Florida who participate these plans “grandfathered in” under the bill. While this also impacts seniors in other states, their numbers are insignificant as compared to the number of seniors receiving such preferential treatment in Florida.

Maybe it’s just me, but the Ben and Bill Nelson duo reminds me of another famous pair in American history: Frank and Jesse James. First, we had the James Gang, and now we have the Nelson Gang. In their own unique way, they somewhat share the same profession. The James Gang just didn’t have the skill set of the Nelson Gang, so their “transactions” were of a much smaller scale.

While we’re on the subject, this brings to mind another well known desperado: Willie Sutton. Also known as “The Actor” and “Slick Willie” (no relation to Bill Clinton), Willie Sutton was once asked why he robbed banks … to which he replied, “Because that's where the money is." So, if you’re at all confused as to why politicians take money from the American taxpayers, don’t be. It’s because “that’s where the money is.”

Whatever happened to “equal protection” under the 14th Amendment rather than fashioning legislation in a way that features more carve-outs than a Thanksgiving turkey? Maybe this is just reflective of the “Change” we were all promised. The Senate and the House of Representatives have certainly “changed” … moving more toward the direction of traditional Chicago politics: backroom deals; brokered favors; all at the expense of our Nation at-large.

If you’re waiting for those publicly televised health care debates on C-SPAN that were repeatedly promised during the Presidential campaign, you can stop waiting. It’s tough to be “transparent” behind closed doors in the proverbial “smoked-filled rooms” where the real “legislating” is taking place. Perhaps the “smoke” is diffusing the light in the room too much to afford our government the opportunity to operate with “transparency.” Perhaps “translucency” should be its goal. That would at least beat the opaque approach that has been in effect during the framing of health care reform.

However, at least one good thing has come from all of this. Congress has finally made great progress toward the President’s campaign pledge to achieve “bipartisan support.” What … you say the vote was strictly along party lines? Well, sure it was! The President never suggested it wouldn’t be. I’m sure Press Secretary Gibbs would be quick to point out that what the President meant to say was that, under his Administration, you would be able to “buy” partisan support for almost anything.

Happy New Year!

2009 © Dr. Terrance J. O’Hara. All Rights Reserved.