Posted on 02/22/2010 8:00:36 AM PST by opentalk
The game of chicken commenceth — right now.
In the course of unveiling Obama’s new health reform proposal on a conference call with reporters this morning, White House advisers made it clearer than ever before: If the GOP filibusters health reform, Dems will move forward on their own and pass it via reconciliation.
The assertion, which is likely to spark an angry response from GOP leaders, ups the stakes in advance of the summit by essentially daring Republicans to try to block reform.
“The President expects and believes the American people deserve an up or down vote on health reform,” White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said on the call.
Pfeiffer said no decision had been made how to proceed, pending the outcome of the summit. But he added that Obama’s proposal is designed to have “maximum flexibility to ensure that we can get an up or down vote if the opposition decides to take the extraordinary step of filibustering health reform.”
Translation: If the GOP doesn’t cooperate with us in any meaningful sense, we’re moving forward on our own.
Also on the call, White House advisers detailed Obama’s new proposal, which was just posted on the White House web site, and discussed the ways it seeks a compromise between the Senate and House proposals. Among the details:
* As expected, the plan has no public option — but this does not preclude a reconciliation vote on the public option later.
* The proposal boosts the threshold for the “Cadillac” tax on the most expensive health plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500. That’s actually a better deal than some labor officials were expecting, though some House Dems will still be angry that the tax is being included at all.
* The proposal also preserves the Senate bill’s state-based exchanges, and does not have a national exchange, as the House bill did.
* However, House Dems will be cheered by the fact that Obama’s compromise closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” coverage gap.
* Also, the bill nixes Ben Nelson’s Nebraska deal and boosts Federal financing for Medicaid expansion in all states.
* And finally, as expected, Obama’s proposal creates a Federal panel to monitor and block exorbitant rate hikes and other unfair practices by the insurance industry.
One final note: On the call, Pfeiffer was careful to note that the proposal is not the product of an agreement between the House and Senate, but rather is “the President’s bill.” This is meant to preclude GOP efforts to cast the proposal as the product of a backroom deal. The lines are drawn.
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Update: Eric Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring emails a response:
The Obama plan costs a trillion dollars, puts government in control of personal health decisions, and allows the government to set prices in the private market. That mirrors the Pelosi/Reid plans that have already been soundly rejected by the bipartisan majority of Americans.
The radical left has the opportunity to enslave the American people. Don’t think for one moment that these Marxist, America hating thugs will pass THAT up over the possibility of losing a few seats in congress.
Calling the bluff is a given. The question is whether the RATS can pass this in the House or Senate.
Obambi: “We are going to have this health care summit so we can show we are bi-partison, and if they don’t agree to what we want we will ram it down their throats”
Now THAT”S leadership.
On a stupider note- I happend to catch some liberal talk show host babe this mornign talking about this summit and how obambi should go in and jut say OK you want what? 1, 2, 3? ok chec, check check... now wil you sign it?
She was too stupid to see that what republicans want and what the socialists want are mutually exclusive- she does not seem to know or care, just Gimme Dat Free Gubmint Health Care!
Liberals are even stupider than you can imagine
Correct, its a whole new ball of wax that needs to pass in the House and Senate. This is all bluff and will fail.
As others have said, this would be political suicide for several dozen House Dems and more than a few Senate Dems. I can't believe that enough congressional Dems would drink the Obama Kool Aid to permit the bill to pass. Maybe I am being naively optimistic, though ...
stay at work and filibuster.......If they try reconciliation, DO NOT SHOW UP FOR WORK...period...make them own it all by themselves....stay home
Sounds like a threat to me.
The Democrats wouldn't give highly qualified Bush nominees an up or down vote, but now the Republicans are supposed to be stampeded into allowing such a massive overhaul of our economy and way of life?
Chris Matthews really layed into Grayson a while back saying that this bill wouldn’t be passed this way and that the Senate just didn’t work that way...
I wonder what he thinks now.
Reconciliation can only be used to adjust purely budgetary numbers (e.g., Bush’s cutting the rates of already-in-place taxes early in his first term). IT CANNOT BE USED TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS. If the Parliamentarian/Chair allows the Byrd Rule to be ignored(*) in this manner, the rule is effectively dead, illegitimately assassinated. EVERYthing can be said to “impact the budget” in some way.
(*— The parliamentarian/Chair can be overruled, but that too requires 60 votes, which the Dems obviously do not have in the first place or they wouldn’t be talking about cheating their way past the Byrd Rule.)
Hey Folks,
I know we’re getting weary of this, but we MUST notify our GOP Leadership and pitch a fit about this upcoming meeting! I called all of the leadership offices this morning and spoke to staff each time.
Please take a second to call them and express your outrage! Forget the e-mails...you must call! Contact info:
Office of the House Republican Leader (John Boehner)
Phone: (202) 225-4000
Office of the Minority Whip (Eric Cantor)
Phone Number
(202) 225-0197
Senate Republican Leader (Mitch McConnell)
Phone: (202) 224-2541
I’m calling now!
From the sound of the staff who answered the phones this morning, I think they’re getting hammered on this.
Thanks for taking time to call!
Bingo! And if they think unemployment is high now, wait til this POS legislation passes! What was it during the depression 25%, it will jump to 25% in a week.
We’ll Pass Health Reform Via Reconciliation
When Republican’s proposed the use of reconciliation the media dubbed it; the NUCLEAR OPTION.
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