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Dems may take shortcut in passing health overhaul (despite Americans being against it)
Washington Post ^ | 2/26/2010 | ALAN FRAM/AP

Posted on 02/26/2010 3:37:19 AM PST by tobyhill

Democrats struggling to enact President Barack Obama's health care overhaul may take a seldom-used Senate shortcut. That prospect has infuriated Republicans who, it turns out, have used the process far more than Democrats.

That's just one hint of the pressures, emotions and uncertainty that Democrats' use of the so-called reconciliation process would unleash for both sides.

It would put an obscure, appointed Senate staffer - its parliamentarian - in a political crucible for one of the year's most momentous legislative and political showdowns. It would raise questions about how extensive the legislation would be, due to limitations on the process. And in the end, it may boil down to a physical endurance test as GOP senators try stopping the measure with an endless parade of votes.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 02/26/2010 3:37:19 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: tobyhill

That prospect has infuriated Republicans

and the American people


2 posted on 02/26/2010 3:51:35 AM PST by ari-freedom (Rush:Remember to put your faith in ideas and not people. People will always, always disappoint you!)
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To: tobyhill
That prospect has infuriated Republicans who, it turns out, have used the process far more than Democrats.

But, never for this.

The Washington Post conveniently leaves out all the important details.

3 posted on 02/26/2010 3:57:17 AM PST by Lazamataz (Seriously. The only way Obama can possibly pull this out is to declare Martial Law before November.)
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To: tobyhill
People say 'reconciliation' so often we in the hinterland must think it's already done. I have a question. What's stopping them?

I just wonder if they have the votes to pull it off. Maybe they do in the Senate. Most liberal senators don't seem to like the House bill.

In the House, they are all up for reelection. I suspect even the Democrats there like this overpaid and underworked life style. I wonder if Hoyer might be telling the granny, "If we change our bill, we no longer have the votes. If we had to pass the existing bill today we no longer have the votes."

4 posted on 02/26/2010 3:59:07 AM PST by stevem
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To: ari-freedom
The Rats keep trying to claim that they can use it because the Republicans did with Bush tax cuts. The small part the Rats leave out is that tax cuts are a budgetary issue.
5 posted on 02/26/2010 4:00:18 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: tobyhill
Under Democrats' current plans, the House would approve the huge health overhaul bill the Senate passed Christmas Eve. A separate reconciliation bill would make changes in that measure to reflect compromises Democrats reached among themselves in January.

I heard Bret Baier say this the other day on his broadcast, and posted the video. But here's a second source confirming that first the House must first approve the Christmas Eve Senate bill.

6 posted on 02/26/2010 4:02:00 AM PST by dawn53
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To: Lazamataz

“That’s what elections are for” (President Obama”

The President has made the case, give us power and screw you, if you don’t like it, throw us out. Until then Obama could care less what Americans think, he is not one of us.


7 posted on 02/26/2010 4:05:27 AM PST by paguch
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To: dawn53

without canging a word.


8 posted on 02/26/2010 4:05:52 AM PST by scooby321
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To: tobyhill

If the Senate parlimentarian does not go along, watch him retire quietly a few months later.


9 posted on 02/26/2010 4:08:51 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: tobyhill

I don’t think that this is the end of the world as has been suggested. I see the process like this:

1). Dems pass this plan.
2). America hates this plan.
3). Voters throw the Dems out and put GOP in.
4). GOP ends the plan.
5). GOP retains control and begins conservative reign.

Its all good. Unless the voters really like the plan, but polls say otherwise.


10 posted on 02/26/2010 4:09:20 AM PST by awake-n-angry
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To: tobyhill

I keep seeing the new talking point: that Republicans have used it far more than democrats since 1980.

This is a perfect example of cherry picking the data (something these communists do with global warming too). Since Reagan took office in 1981, we’ve had 29 years. 9 of those years have been under democrat presidents, and 20 of them under Republican presidents. By my count the Republicans also had a slim majority in the senate for 18.5 (about 10.5 under Republican presidents) of those years, the democrats having the other 10.5 (most of it under Republican presidents, only three of those years were under democrat presidents).

Now how often do you think a party that has a slight majority is going to use this tactic when it won’t be signed by the president because he’s of a different party?

If we are to take this article as truth that 16 reconciliation bills were passed under Republican majorities (the other 6 presumably under democrat majorities), then democrats actually use the procedure more often as a proportion of how often it will likely be used:

3 years (democrats have had to use it) divided by 13.5 (total time that both parties have really had to use it) means they’ve had roughly 22% of the time to use it, but 6 (the number of times they’ve used it) divided by 22 (the total number of times it’s been used) means they’ve used it 27% of the time it’s been used.

It’s simple statistics - democrats use it more often than Republicans when they have the chance.


11 posted on 02/26/2010 4:12:15 AM PST by Echo4C (We have it in our power to begin the world over again. --Thomas Paine)
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To: tobyhill

If Dems use reconciliation to pass this, the GOP should use it for repeal in January!


12 posted on 02/26/2010 4:13:55 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: dawn53
Once they pass the Senate Bill they are stuck with it and most of the reconciliation bill designed to change parts of it won't pass the reconciliation test.
I don't think the House will take that chance in passing the Senate Bill.
Once the courts rule that mandatory insurance requirements are unconstitutional then Obama and the Rats are going to be a permanent minority.
The Rats like to compare auto insurance being mandatory but they always leave out that it's mandatory for only those who drive on public roads.
13 posted on 02/26/2010 4:15:31 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: Erik Latranyi
but Obama won't sign it.
14 posted on 02/26/2010 4:16:11 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: tobyhill
but Obama won't sign it.

It will setup Obama's defeat in 2012.

15 posted on 02/26/2010 4:18:01 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: Erik Latranyi
Repubs would need a whole lot more than 51 Senators (Just for starters) to repeal any bill/EO that Obama has signed.
16 posted on 02/26/2010 4:20:46 AM PST by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: rollo tomasi
Repubs would need a whole lot more than 51 Senators (Just for starters) to repeal any bill/EO that Obama has signed.

See post 15

17 posted on 02/26/2010 4:44:47 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: tobyhill

They cant pass the mandates and such with recon can they? Just the taxes?


18 posted on 02/26/2010 4:45:07 AM PST by GUNGAGALUNGA (Democratus Suckus Teatus is the Latin root for Democrat and it means to tax)
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To: tobyhill

I had a long talk yesterday with a very well-informed staffer in my Congressional rep’s Washington office. I was told me that reconciliation cannot be used for anything except budget issues. The staffer also said that James Clyburn, the Democratic vote counter in the House, has flatly admitted that there are not the votes in the House to pass the Senate bill.


19 posted on 02/26/2010 5:06:59 AM PST by thethirddegree
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To: tobyhill
That prospect has infuriated Republicans who, it turns out, have used the process far more than Democrats.

Not for this type of comprehensive legislation, they haven't.

The filibuster was put into place to stop just this type of Bill that would radically alter America based on a single election.

20 posted on 02/26/2010 5:26:47 AM PST by fortheDeclaration ("Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people".-John Adams)
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