Senator Tom Brewer
43rd District
09-21-2018

I wrote about Medicaid Expansion last week. This is a big subject, so I want to touch on another aspect of it this week. This November 6th, the following question will be on the ballot;

“Shall Nebraska statues be amended to provide that the state shall amend its Medicaid plan to expand eligibility for medical assistance to cover adults ages 19 through 64 whose incomes are one hundred and thirty-eight percent (138%) of the federal poverty level or below as defined by federal law, and to maximize federal financial participation to fund their care.”

If this passes, all of this language will be in Nebraska law. Read this portion carefully: “…and to maximize federal financial participation to fund their care.”

The “devil is in the details” as they say, and I can tell you that this will create one big devil lurking in the language of the law. This wording will act like a blank check. This will obligate Nebraska to sign up for every new federal program that Washington may dream-up in the future. If it can be called “federal financial participation” we will have no choice but to participate in it.

Federal spending in the States always comes with strings attached. For example, programs often require whatever amount the feds may pay to be “matched” dollar-for-dollar by the State. If the congress decides to spend more money, Nebraska is forced to as well. The difference is, the feds simply print or borrow more money and add to our insane national debt. In Nebraska, our constitution requires us to balance our budget.

Lets say the congress decides it wants the States to offer abortions through the Medicaid program and appropriates money to fund it. This wording in this ballot language obligates Nebraska to not only accept the money, but to provide the “healthcare” congress demands. This law would force us to do that because our law would require us to “maximize federal financial participation to fund their (Medicaid recipients) care.”

The more people that enroll in Medicaid Expansion, the more federal funding is provided. This ballot language could be interpreted by a court to mean Nebraska must proactively seek-out and sign-up every possible person. Again, as such an effort would “maximize federal financial participation to fund their care” a court could order such a thing under this law.

Every time the federal government chose to get more involved in healthcare in the future – provided they send some cash along with their demands – Nebraskans will have no legal choice but to obey. This law would force us to comply because we would have to do whatever was necessary to “maximize federal financial participation to fund their care.”

This isn’t about helping poor people get healthcare. This is about abolishing the State Sovereignty of Nebraska and making us the indentured servants of a federal government welfare program. I recommend you vote NO for Medicaid Expansion in November.

Next week, I’ll talk about some solutions to the problems President Obama identified concerning the cost, availability, and quality of healthcare. There are a lot of ways to do this that do not require a massive welfare program to provide. They don’t cost the taxpayers a dime.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to call. Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at; tbrewer@leg.ne.gov. Mail a letter to; Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1202, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or call us at (402) 471-2628.