Dreier: Democrats 'About 10 Votes Off' from Passage in House

National Review Online ^ | March 15, 2010 | Daniel Foster

[C19fan]

In a press conference on Capitol Hill today, Rep. David Dreier (R., Calif.), ranking Republican on the House Rules Committee, said the word around the House is that Democrats are still about 10 votes away from securing the 216 they will need to pass changes to the health-care bill. Dreier added that that number might be moving in the wrong direction for Democrats.

“You are hearing that people are peeling off,” he said.

...................................................

The reconciliation measure would also have to be sent back to the House if any provisions contained therein were struck down by the Byrd Rule. A memo from Dreier's office put it this way:

The one thing that history demonstrates is that the reconciliation process in the Senate is unpredictable. No matter how well you “scrub” the provisions in a bill for potential Byrd rule violations, something always gets through. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 had 3 provisions which were stricken on Byrd rule points of order despite a thorough review. The notion that the reconciliation bill will be immediately cleared by the Senate for the President is difficult to fathom.

[C19fan]

When the Parliamentarian says some provision violates the Byrd Rule Joe Biden as President of the Senate can overrule and it takes a majority vote to overrule Biden.

[romanesq]

Kill Obamacare in the House. Everything else now is a sideshow.
Stop Pelosi and stop them in the House.

[cajungirl]

I am so sick of all this,,it feels like being worn to a nub. First they have the votes/then they don’t. Then they are reconciling, then not.

Is this just wearing us all out so we have no will to protest. It is like a kidnapping,,at some point the parents want the cops to storm a house even if it risks a kid’s life,,just to have the tension relieved.

[MuttTheHoople]

Dems working hard to federally fund killing babies, old people, and other Untermenschen.

[Chi-townChief]

“Dreier added that that number might be moving in the wrong direction for Democrats.
“You are hearing that people are peeling off,” he said.”

Sounds cool!! Hope he’s right!!!

[oh8eleven]

Dreier added that that number might be moving in the wrong direction for Democrats.
That's good news, but I'd still like to see a list of congress critters who are "on the fence."
I'll call them 24/7 if I have to.

[OldDeckHand]

"When the Parliamentarian says some provision violates the Byrd Rule Joe Biden as President of the Senate can overrule and it takes a majority vote to overrule Biden. "

That's right. And, it actually takes 60, not 51 to overrule Biden and sustain the ruling by the Parliamentarian.

This, of course, presumes that Biden would overrule the Parliamentarian. That would be unprecedented in the 36-year history of the Budget Reconciliation process. And, Humphrey was the last Senate President to overrule the Parliamentarian on any business.

[SumProVita]

Bombard your reps with calls, etc. I just called mine....both offices...the one in DC and here in the state.

[Tulane]

Keep calling! Every time you hear a Dem say that it is “a done deal” don't believe them. They are simply trying to create a feeling of inevitability.If they had the votes, they would bring it to the floor. They don't have the votes...keep working the phones. It really does make a difference.

[GailA]

Defeat Obamacare call list: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts. Be sure to call KNOWN RINOS too.

KEEP THE CALLS UP! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE

Code Red” - House Target List on Health Care

The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Thursday, March 18th.

Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699
Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295
Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)
Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
James Matheson Toll-Free Number 1 (877) 677-9743 (202) 225-3011Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928,
Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)

On the Bubble (Major developments from the “yes” and “no” columns in the House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2467046/posts

Congressional Dems on Twitter
http://www.arrghpaine.com/congressional-dems-on-twitter

And here are toll-free numbers we can use to call any Senators or Reps.
At the first number below you must wait through a tape recording urging you to tell your Rep or Senator to vote “yes” for the health care bill. Just hang on and when the recording is over, you will get the Capitol operator. Just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Then you will either talk to an aid or have the chance to leave a message for him/her to vote NO on the health care bill.

When you use the second number and the Capitol operator comes on, just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Every time I use this number I get the Rep or Senator’s answer machine, so it may be set up that way all the time...to go to their answer machine. Either way you can leave a message to vote NO on the health care bill!

We need to use these toll free numbers that have been set up for the health care/ BO supporters and illegals to use! After all they are FREE!
1-800-828-0498 , 1-866-220-0044, 1-866-338-1015, 877-851-6437, 877-210-5351

[Dilbert San Diego]

I’ve heard that they expect to twist enough arms to get it done. But, I’ve also heard, if it fails, it will be by a big margin. If the USS Obamacare becomes a sinking ship, far fewer Dems. will want to have an official “yes” vote for something that failed in the end. So a lot of Dems. could abandon ship before the big vote.

In fact, if that happens, Nancy might postpone the vote, rather than see the embarrassment of a losing official recorded vote.

[C19fan]

Considering this will make or break Zero, throw out all traditions and precedents.

[cajungirl]

Nancy won’t have a vote until she has the votes.

[varon]

“You are hearing that people are peeling off,” he said.”

Peel, baby, peel!!! :-)

[Think free or die]

Today have called Schwartz (certain yes, but sadly, my rep); Stupak, Altmire and Gordon - got through to all of them. Burn up those phone lines!!!!

Last week I protested the big Zero in Glenside. If Rep Schwartz was there, she might have heard me then. . . not that she cares.

[livius]

Interesting. I agree, if they think it’s going to fail, they’ll quietly postpone it.

However, my fear is a “surprise” vote at some moment when they think they have the right number of people present and they can take everyone off guard.

[presently no screen name]

First they have the votes/then they don’t. Then they are reconciling, then not.

I believe 'if you can't convince them, confuse them' is in play.

[CapnJack]

“I am so sick of all this,,it feels like being worn to a nub. First they have the votes/then they don’t. Then they are reconciling, then not.”

That is their plan. And unfortunately it appears to be working.

[festusbanjo]

Stay strong. Weakness equals defeat.

[Gay State Conservative]

Message to House RATS.....whose wrath are you more willing to endure...

That of Bella Pelosi and Hussein The Blessed?

Or that of the voters of your district?