[BelegStrongbow]

Of course, if it is a tax, then how could it have originated in the Senate? Or has the Roberts Rule now empowered the Senate to initiate revenue bills, despite the clear text of the Constitution?

Sorry, my FRiend, and I do hold you in serious high regard, for your long service here and astute thought, with all due respect, we are well and truly shafted by this decision regardless of how the Senate rules in this case.

The door is now open for any tyrant to walk through and order us to do anything, so long as it is called a tax.

[greeneyes]

Of course, if it is a tax, then how could it have originated in the Senate?

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It was a convoluted process. IIRC, what I read at the time was that Pelosi took an existing bill that originated in the house. Stripped the bill and inserted the language of the Senate bill. Then claimed it originated in the house, and sent it to the Senate as a budget reconciliation bill so that it would only take a majority vote for passage (not 60 that it should have required).

[muawiyah]

As has been 'splained to you a gazillion times (even by Br'r levine last evening ~ yup, i heard it) Hairy Reed took a bill that'd been passed by the House and sent over to the Senate and submitted it with amendments ~ which turned it into obamakKKare.

So, the bill originated in the House and was amended in the Senate.

It met that part of the Constitution if nothing else.

Next time pay attention to Mark then you won't have to ask me.