Posted on 03/09/2017 9:38:04 PM PST by TBP
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), emerging as a key player in negotiations to repeal and replace ObamaCare, says Vice President Pence should exert his power over the Senate to significantly expand the scope of the House healthcare reform bill.
Cruz, who had dinner with President Trump on Wednesday evening, says that Pence, who by virtue of his office also serves as president of the Senate, should be prepared to overrule the chamber's parliamentarian to bulk up the controversial measure.
House Republicans left several reforms popular with conservatives out of their healthcare bill because the parliamentarian is likely to rule them outside the scope of special rules in the upper chamber that prevent a Democratic filibuster.
Cruz argues that Pence, as the person likely to preside over the chamber at the most important moments of the healthcare debate, can decide what and what isn’t eligible for the so-called reconciliation process. He says the Senate parliamentarian’s role is to advise, not to rule.
“Under the Budget Act of 1974, which is what governs reconciliation, it is the presiding officer, the vice president of the United States, who rules on what’s permissible on reconciliation and what is not,” Cruz told reporters Thursday. “That’s a conversation I’ve been having with a number of my colleagues."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Maybe this is Trump’s way of hanging Ryan out to dry. For now though, it seems that Trump just want this as a notch on his belt rather than seeing the implications and unintended consequences of it. Because if RyanCare pass, the Dems will take Congress and possibly the Senate in 2018.
Let the free market and competition lower prices and increase quality of healthcare services
Ryancare = Obamacare
Ryan is a leftist. He’s been putting on an act
Repeal the Kennedy healthcare bill from the 1960s while we’re at it.
Yes and repeal the Kennedy 1965 immigration act too.
Ted Kennedy was the villain behind the 1965 immigration act. but the all of them were for it.
Trump needs to listen to Cruz rather than Ryan.
This is the answer. Pence rules the senate , not some parliamentarian advisor who would dare suggest that tort reform or competition across state lines would NOT affect revenue.
For better or worse it will be known as TrumpCare not RyanCare. Trump is between a rock and a hard place on this one because he really doesn't have the votes to fulfill his campaign promise.
Repeal today.. they can repeal through reconciliation. They are just stalling for midterms. They can replace it later or replace it with sandfords bill. O how I hate them. Start calling every day.
The Republicans cross that bridge today, then tomorrow when the Democrats have a narrow majority in the Senate, they will do the same thing.
This is a precedent line that should not be crossed even though it would work, the healthcare bill everyone wants would get passed immediately.
Stop and think about 2018, 2020, 2022...
Didn’t Dingy Harry already destroy the 60 vote rule? Or was that violated only for specific situations?
Be efficient. Repeal every bill on which Kennedy was lead sponsor. Call it the Koepeckne Restoration Act. The worst unintended consequence probably would be some commie’s legacy will lose its namesake post office.
If the Republicans DON’T cross that bridge today, then tomorrow when the Democrats have a narrow majority in the Senate, they will do it. Democrsts don’t care about pr efdent, they care about power. And that tomorrow will come sooner if the Republicans, again, fail to do what they promised, fail to remove the Government subsidies underpinning Democratic power, and leave their own base again dispirited.
I had given up on Cruz.
Maybe there’s something there after all.
President Trump and Senator Cruz met for a couple of hours the other day. Hopefully, Ted had some influence on the President.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.