Posted on 03/01/2009 4:30:38 PM PST by cdchik123
President Obama’s budget director said the White House would consider using a Senate procedural tactic so that only 50 votes would be rquired to pass major healthcare and energy reforms.
Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration would prefer not to use the budget reconciliation process to push through its package. But he added: "We have to keep everything on the table. We want to get these.... important things done this year." Orszag called healthcare in particular "the key to our fiscal future."
Orszag made the comments on ABC’s "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."
Because they can not be filibustered, budget reconciliations only require 50 votes to pass the Senate. Democrats hold strong majorities in Congress, but still come up short of the 60 votes necessary in the Senate to end debate, which makes it easier for Republicans to block legislation. House rules in comparison make it harder for the minority party to stop bills.
Still, using budget reconciliation to pass policy proposals is controversial, even among some Democrats who believe doing so strains Senate rules and tradition.
The Obama blueprint calls for major changes in both energy and healthcare policies that is likely to engender significant opposition from Republicans and business lobbies. The reforms are expect to win widespread support from Democrats and more left-leaning constituencies.
The budget plan calls for a cap on carbon emissions, for example, and projects $645 billion in revenues from an auction of pollution permits that a variety of business groups, including oil companies, large manufacturers and utilities, would have to purchase.
On healthcare, the plan calls for a $634 billion reserve fund to pay for a first step on healthcare reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
And the Republicans were so afraid of using the nuclear option.
So much for separation of powers.
No surprise, a ‘rat is a rat.
Yep I remember about the nuclear option on judges.
Well, a backlog of Bush’s nominees were confirmed to the federal bench after the showdown on the nuclear option. And filibusters of Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court were avoided. We see that with Dems. in total control, they don’t want to face any Republican filibusters on anything.
When are the Shepple going to wake up and realize that a Coup has taken place.
Your Congress critters or beasts don’t care about you.
So I guess we'll just print more money.
Almost no one in DC is even talking about social security crisis that's looming on the horizon. If this keeps up we may well look like Argentina in 10 years.
I hope and pray that the Republicans will be able to block the health reforms that O and his deathly crew are planning to inflict on Americans! The first to be carried out will be the death sentences to all unborn children who are identified as handicapped in the womb (remember Hitler and his first plans of annihilation against the handicapped?)
When there's no more bread and circuses. When people are going without.
Machiavelli pointed out to his liege that if he was going to do several terrible things to the people it was better to do them all at once. That way the people will forget sooner.
If he stops spending huge amounts of money in a year, then he is done until he is reelected. 2010 elections come into play and the 2012 elections affect him personally. So he needs to get this stuff done ASAP to limit damage to the Dems in 2010 and so that folks will forget and hence forgive in 2012.
Specter, Collins and Snow. They mind as well have 60 votes.
No voice on this in the house, we have been nuetered from house rul;es and no seperation of powers and true debate on game changers via sticking them in a budget vs. debate where the light of sunshine would disinfect them.
They will still blame Bush, Republicans and Conservatives.
There are issues with the presence of Kennedy and Franken.
Just what is his definition of “bipartisanship”?
This hasn't actually been proven yet.
And the first thing outta the bag, Obama employs it.
There is zero chance that this man intends on leaving office. This is a bloodthirsty move right out of the gate. 2012 will be very bloody, literally.
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