Obama calls for reconciliation to prevent filibuster on health-care reform

Washington Post ^ | March 4, 2010 | Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery

[ricks_place]

President Obama's endorsement Wednesday of a risky legislative maneuver to complete health-care legislation sent Democratic leaders scrambling to settle policy disputes and assemble the votes necessary for passage in the coming weeks.

In a speech at the White House, Obama urged Congress to "finish its work" on health care and indicated support for a strategy that includes the budget maneuver known as reconciliation, which would protect the final product from a Republican filibuster in the Senate. Obama told an audience of medical professionals that Congress "owes the American people a final vote on health-care reform."

But completing the job would require weeks of complicated parliamentary tactics that Republicans have pledged to challenge at every turn. Although Obama has reached out to GOP lawmakers in recent days, hosting a bipartisan health summit last week and offering to include conservative proposals in his plan, Republicans remain unified and resolute in their opposition.

GOP opportunities to block reconciliation in the Senate will be numerous. The minority party may offer an unlimited number of amendments and can challenge provisions that don't have a clear impact on the federal budget, restricting the bill's contents. "We're going to scrub the bill thoroughly," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky).

Even so, House and Senate Democratic leaders pledged to move aggressively. Under the plan taking shape, the House would pass the legislation approved Christmas Eve by the Senate. Both chambers would then pass a reconciliation bill that consists of fixes, being negotiated by Democratic leaders, to address House concerns with the smaller and more moderate-leaning Senate bill.

[sheik yerbouty]

Probably, they were attendants from a mental hospital, there to take the Anointed one for a different type of check up..

[cricket]

Wonder how many in Obama’s audience of “medical professionals” (according to WaPo) were not medical professionals in real life, but merely useful idiots dressed in white coats used as props.

Given that we are supposed to know 'guests' (by list) at White House; you would think this fairly easy to verify given the public view here. But either way. . .real or faux 'medical' (and would bet they were 'repping' the medical field) they were still, all. . .useful idiots.

Like the Muslim names absent from a story; find it odd that these 'Doctor's remain nameless! Or. . .perhaps, this info just escaped attention?

[freekitty]

I agree.

[phoenix07]

Glenn Beck is correct. As to helping my neighbors - forget it. Ordinarily I do. These neighbors here (I just moved here) are all Obama supporters. Every last one of them. Glad I didn’t buy here!