Posted on 03/28/2009 12:58:41 PM PDT by reaganaut1
...
Republicans are in a tizzy because Democrats are threatening to use the budgetary procedure known as reconciliation — it reconciles policy with fiscal guidelines — to overhaul the health care system, possibly enact climate change legislation and rewrite education policy.
They have good reason to fret: If Democrats successfully invoke reconciliation, such major bills could pass by a simple majority vote, denying Republicans the filibuster, their sole remaining weapon to influence federal policy given the Democratic grip on government.
“It stinks,” Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said as he pondered the prospect of Democrats pulling the trigger on reconciliation.
But there are a couple of problems for Republicans as they push back furiously against the idea, chief of which is the fact that they used the process themselves on several occasions, notably when enacting more than $1 trillion in tax cuts in 2001.
...
[Senator Judd Gregg] and other Republicans, with some Democrats concurring, say that using reconciliation to accomplish Mr. Obama’s sweeping objectives would distort the intent of a procedure intended mainly to lower the deficit, not restructure the national economy.
“It is not appropriate to use reconciliation, which cuts off the role of the Senate, on something as broad and extensive as rewriting the health care laws of this country,” said Mr. Gregg in one of his many attempts to explain why he is against reconciliation after he was for it.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
There is a difference between using reconciliation to move tax rates, higher or lower, and using it to "reform" the health care system.
Authoritarianism under Chicago thugs.
Tyranny is alive and in full swing.
What? They’re not calling it the “nuclear option” now that Demoncrats have the Senate?
The Republicans need to find their eggs and go nuclear over this budget and spending mess. They will have to accept that the msm is going to demonize them in a way that will make the media bashing they took in the mid 90s over the medicare admin stuff look mild by comparison. They’ll need a no holds barred, calling Obama on the carpet as a full blown Socialist, campaign. They need to start winning hearts and minds. And they need to do it NOW!
Agreed. They need to fear the backlash. They need to fear an informed populace...but who is going to inform the populace?
The bill will be sent to the Democrats as a personal indenture which will be passed down to their heirs.
I presume we will use "reconciliation" to bankrupt them!
Um, I’m pretty sure this process gets used all the time. As in, like 10+ times in the last 20 years or so (often with a republican congress). This isn’t like some crazy new thing the dems invented to get their bill passed.
Oh, found it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(Senate)
2007, 2006, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1997 (again), 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1987, 1986, 1984, 1982, etc.
Quite different.
The GOP should but the fire of '94 is out. Obama's support is starting to erode. An opportunity presents itself but the clock is ticking.
Shewt. We’re not even being told that there’s a country about to fire a missile that could hit us.
Achtung! Schnell! Get into zee boxcar democrats.
I did not even catch that. The NY Times is such a democrat propaganda machine. I remember them making the GOP out to be monsters with the “nuclear option”, but now its called “reconciliation”? What lying POSs.
Well, so much for bipartisan.
Wasn’t that the drumbeat of the last eight years?
It infuriates me that they even try to compare the two. Tax rates could be increased at a later time, no permanent damage. But listen up America! Once they mutilate our health care system THERE IS NO GOING BACK!
They are stealing your choice. It won't matter if you want to spend your life savings to get your child the best medical care possible, you won't be able to. You will have to settle for what they give you. And they want to sneak this through Congress with the ridiculous excuse that the GOP did it too, with tax cuts.
NO GOING BACK AND NO CHOICE!
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