Posted on 01/16/2010 3:16:19 PM PST by Steelfish
January 16, 2010 Dems Weigh Other Options for Passing Health Care if GOP Wins Kennedy's Seat
Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Bloomberg this week that Democrats are still considering reconciliation, a tactic that forbids filibusters and allow bills to pass with just 51 votes, or a simple majority.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are dusting off the so-called "nuclear option," the latest sign that their health care push could be derailed by a Republican win in Tuesday's surprisingly competitive special election for Massachusetts senator.
The procedural move known as reconciliation, called the "nuclear option" because it would shut down a GOP filibuster, has been discussed by Democrats since last year as a last resort to pass health care reform legislation intended to lower health costs and cover millions of uninsured Americans. President Obama has made it his domestic policy priority.
Democrats hold a commanding majority in the House, and in the Senate, their 60 votes are enough to avoid a filibuster. But the balance could change if Republican Scott Brown beats Democrat Martha Coakley on Tuesday to win the late Ted Kennedy's former Senate seat.
If Republicans win, Obama and Democratic congressional leaders would have a political window of perhaps days if they were to try ramming a final bill through the Senate -- at considerable risk of incurring public wrath. All 40 Republicans are opposed to the legislation out of concern that it costs too much and increases the government's role in the health care industry.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
You are right. The Germans had nothing to fight for. I did not think of that. Ah a good sign. I do believe he is trying to get this country to that point were the majority of folks feel like nothing is good anymore.
Just TRY to contact your congresscritter right now. It’s impossible, so I’ll tell them right now - Screw you. You’re out of here. Tar and feathers are a wonderful thing. Why doesn’t some sheep network put on “Network” again? They’re afraid to.
Bottom line - TRY to contact any member of Congress right now - forget it. I’m sure it’s all a part of transpanency that we’ll never see.
I’m talking about calling them long disatance, not e-mail - which doesn’t do shit.
I’m a bit confused about “reconciliation”.
I thought that the premise of reconciliation is that there was a budget passed, and that budget authorised certain income/expense numbers, and that a bill which seeks only to implement that budget can be passed under “reconciliation” and can’t be filibustered.
If so, then my confusion is because it is 2010. It’s a new budget year, and they haven’t passed a new budget yet, so how can they still to reconciliation on last year’s budget?
>>If Brown wins in Mass (I still think it’s unlikely) and the Dems keep pursuing Health Care, they are truly suicidal (politically speaking). But they will have achieved their goal. Nationalised health care will be a reality and there will be no going back.<<
If Brown wins in Mass, Pelosi is going to have a nearly impossible task getting the House to vote for the anything like the current health bill. The Senate won’t matter anymore. She only had a 3 vote margin the first time around, one of those votes was Cho from LA, a Republican who was getting a free pass on his vote because she already had a majority, and the abortion provisions in the Senate bill will have to change to get Stupak, et al.
Now top that off with the realization that even Massachusetts voters are hacked off enough about the direction of the country that they’ve put a Republican in the Senate and there is no way Pelosi holds her majority together (if Brown wins, that is.) The Senate isn’t where the problem is (because we all know they’ll just change the rules if that’s what’s needed for passage.) The big problem the Dems have is with the House.
Anyway, that’s the way I see it. Hope I’m right.
I told the McCain cheerleaders that were against using the “nuclear option” that the Dems would have no qualms at all about using it against us. Appears I am right.
However, they are NOT correct in theirs =).
Thank you for this chat. I feel a little better about all this.. Not much but some hope is way better than none!
I just got up to Martha Coakley's campaign HQ to help her win Tuesday's crucial special election. I have to tell you -- this isn't like anything Massachusetts has ever seen.
It's happening right after the holidays, so a lot of people haven't even heard about it. Meanwhile, the same guys behind the Swift Boat ads are taking over the airwaves to distort Martha's record, and the same far-right tea-party crowd that's attacking President Obama is funding her opponent.
The stakes in this race are incredibly high. If we don't hold this seat, a right-wing Republican will hold Sen. Ted Kennedy's old seat until at least 2012 -- and we'll lose a crucial vote in the Senate for health reform and the agenda we fought so hard for last year.
That's why we're going all out in Massachusetts with a massive effort to lock up a Democratic victory. But we can only afford to keep this battle up against the far right through Election Day if folks like you chip in.
Please donate $5 or more to help us make Martha Coakley the next senator from Massachusetts.
Democratic ads are highlighting the key differences between Martha, a long-time public servant and one of the nation's best attorneys general, and her extreme Republican opponent who would walk in lockstep with Mitch McConnell and national GOP power brokers.
And our organizers are engaging volunteers by the thousands to make sure Obama voters make it back to the polls.
But we need your help to keep it going. Please donate $5 or more to the Democratic Party to support our work, including our efforts to elect Martha Coakley:
Let's win this,
Hari
Hari Sevugan
Press Secretary
Democratic National Committee
I forgot about his new army. What color do you think their shirts will be?
they can do this. but it only holds for 5 years. Then it has to be redone.
It is NOT what they want especially if they lose any seats in 2010
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