Posted on 03/09/2010 12:43:03 PM PST by tcrlaf
A dizzying array of options to pass health care
It's a hard time find a House Democrat who wants to vote for the Senate's health care bill. But they may not have to -- at least directly.
Party leaders have discussed the possibility of using the House Rules Committee to avoid an actual vote on the Senate's bill, according to leadership aides. They would do this by writing what's called a "self-executing rule," meaning the Senate bill would be attached to a package of fixes being negotiated between the two chambers -- without an actual vote on the Senate's legislation.
Under this scenario, the Senate bill would be automatically attached to the reconciliation package, if the House passes reconciliation. In other words, Bill A would just become part of Bill B if the House passes Bill B, and the Senate could then vote on a reconciliation package before sending it to the president. This allows House members to approve the broader measure without actually voting on it.
The same aides who confirmed this process was under discussion quickly noted that party leaders have not yet arrived at a final decision, so it's far from a done deal -- a point House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) made repeatedly Tuesday during his weekly exchange with reporters.
This would allow them to deal with the Senate bill without forcing their members to go on record in support of unpopular items, like the now-infamous Cornhusker Kickback or the so-called Louisiana Purchase, that could be used against them on the campaign trail in the fall.
According to industry lobbyists, the House may take the additional step of further amending the rule to guard against another nightmare scenario -- the Senate's failure to enact a package of fixes through the now-familiar reconciliation process. House leaders could add a caveat to the rule that the Senate bill can only be signed into law if the Senate also passes the fixes.
Confused? You're not alone. These hypotheticals have been the topic of much discussion on Capitol Hill as congressional Democrats look for ways to massage chamber rules in the House and Senate pass a health care bill without any Republican support. And before they can do that, they might need to walk their members through some of the finer points of parliamentary maneuvering.
This thing is POLITICAL SUICIDE for the Democrat Party, and everybody knows it.
All in favor of the House having a self-execution rule, say “AYE”!
Do they really think that all these contortions will somehow relieve them of the responsibility for jamming this thing through? All it does in my mind is form a certainty that every single one of them is complicit in this.
I understand how reconciliation is Constitutional — wherein the House passes the Senate bill, thus, with both chambers having passed the bill, it is able to be signed.
I do not understand how it would be Constitutional to have the Senate pass a bill and it be signed into law never having been passed by the House.
SnakeDoc
I voted for it before I didn't vote for it.
They’d be begging for a Supreme Court challenge on that one. The bill was never passed by the House, and thus cannot be Constitutionally signed into law by the President.
SnakeDoc
Okay, let me get this straight.
The Senate voted for this.
The House won’t hold a vote at all.
And it will just become law.
Claire Wolfe, it is officially f***ing time.
Well, yeah. This sentence shows that - note that it should say, "without any constituent support".
pass a health care bill without any Republican support
Sorry, but the House has no jurisdiction over what the Senate or the President can and cannot do.
Perhaps this crusty old document could clear things up a bit.
>> Bill A would just become part of Bill B if the House passes Bill B
Then, clearly, a vote for Bill B **IS** a vote for bill A.
Honestly, who do they think they’re fooling?
How in H311 can the House PASS a bill with no vote? Where in parlimentary proceedure, let alone the Constitution can I find that!!!
IF THIS IS SUCH A GREAT AND NECESSARY THING, WHY NOT JUST VOTE NORMALLY ON IT????
IF EVERYONE WANTS IT, WHERE’S THE RISK?
If they think this gets them safely through the 2010 election they have another thing coming. THey will be BURNT TOAST if they triy some pigsh1t maneuver like this.
“Democrats are so afraid of being connected to this bill that they are willing to abrogate the responsibility the people voted them to take.”
They’re all connected. It’s simple.
If Obamacare passes = take it out on all Democrats. If Obamacare is killed = take it out on all Democrats.
They loose either way. The only hope at a future is for the few Dems who stood in the way the first time around.
You know, at that point, I do believe every health insurer, every doctor, every citizen could simply ignore the law.
Outright.
So its like nobody will know they supported them. And they believe,in this day and age of prevasive communication that they will get away with this? Or is this another way being floated to ‘trick’ house members into going along? Seriously? They’re both more desperate as well as dumber than i thought.
Reporter: Coach, what do you think of your team's execution?
McKay: Sounds like a good idea.
A foul stench emanates from the Congress these days. The Democrats must be destroyed. Democrats delenda est.
BRAVO!
Oh...and AYE also!
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