Posted on 07/10/2017 6:01:41 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Republicans pretend that they are powerless to do more about the great ship Obamacare than to change the fuel on which it runs and rearrange its deck chairs — never mind to sink it. Because they lack 60 votes to stop “unlimited debate,” they claim to be unable to vote even on whether to allow health insurance to be sold across state lines. They pretend to believe that fidelity to unlimited debate in the Senate trumps the importance of our health care system. But the reason why they prop up Obamacare rather than tearing it down is that they are even more beholden to the insurance companies and hospital chains than the Democrats who passed it in the first place.
Neither the filibuster nor the requirement of 60 votes to “cloture” it prevents voting and passing anything that a majority wishes to pass. Moreover, Senate rules can be made or changed by simple majorities. In practical terms, even without “cloture,” a minority’s protracted talk cannot stop a determined majority from voting. Potential filibusters learned long ago that talking nonsense to hold the floor day and night for weeks on end breaks them physically and discredits them politically. But the main reason why no one has tried a real filibuster for more than a half century is that, in 1970, the Senate adopted a “two track” procedure, by which, once a bill fails to gain enough votes to impose cloture (since 1975 that number has been 60), the Senate simply goes on to other business. This has resulted in countless bills having been effectively filibustered to death without a word having being spoken, without anyone having incurred any effort or risk. This, the avoidance of votes on risky, controversial matters — not any commitment to extended debate — is what senators of both parties find so attractive about the modern “virtual filibuster.”
Today however, Republicans are even more unwilling than Democrats to take responsibility for basic choices. The Democrats’ Obamacare made health insurance companies into public utilities. This is what the companies wanted. Republicans had joined them in working out similar schemes (vide the Heritage Foundation plan and Romney-care in Massachusetts) and resented being left out of the action.
If Republicans were serious about voting on any provision regarding health care, or anything else, they would not have to bother eliminating the filibuster. It would be enough to dare opponents actually to wage real ones — complete with minority senators babbling and majority senators sleeping on cots ready to answer quorum calls.
Real filibusters advertise the minority’s fatal political liability: refusal to confront the questions at hand. Because holding the floor to the exclusion of the majority makes it impossible to confute the majority, “extended debate” refutes no one and persuades no one. As the minority filibusters with scattershot or nonsense, the majority can repeat demands for roll-call votes to decide on matters at hand.
This is a really important article and should inspire all of us to demand that our Senators change this ridiculous rule. The Constitution says that most issues should be decided by a MAJORITY. That means 50% + 1 vote. The Senate has only had this ridiculous 60 vote rule during the last 35 years, or so. Change it back.
In true GOP establishment fashion, the Senate will be unable to pass a terrible Trumpcare bill but will instead work across party lines to pass an even worse Trumpcare bill.
This is just like that old Discharge Petition scam that Rush Limbaugh blew the whistle on in the 90’s. Huff and puff and make a big deal in public about the legislation you’re sponsoring, while quietly refusing to sign the petition to discharge it to a floor vote.
Because Republicans want it to remain.
Because we have a Uniparty in Congress. No difference between Ra and Ds.
Trump has exposed them and continues to do so.
The real reason the GOP doesn’t repeal Obamacare is that the biggest beneficiaries of it are older people (Republican voters) and the ones screwed most by are younger people (Democrat voters). It’s really that simple.
False party is false.
They can say anything they want to, they told us they had a bill ready to go that would over turn this POS thing called health care, but guess what:
They were NOT expecting anyone but Hillary to win and did nothing...they told us that to get votes to get back their seats...they never had a bill, they didn’t have crap...they were not expecting to have to work and do something, thinking the ‘rotten hag’ was going to win so they could sit back and rake in more money while America was over taken and the American people starved to death...
Now how about going out and voting for some real people to help Our President who WE elected to run this country and save America and her people!!!
Yes
As long as the focus is on how to pay for grossly inflated healthcare costs, any plan is doomed.
We the People are well aware of the realities inside that stench-ridden Beltway.
Question is, who is more at fault - the anti-American swamp dwellers, or We the People for allowing it?
bump
The best thing “government” SHOULD do is get out of the insurance business all together.
The best thing “government” SHOULD do is get out of the insurance business all together.
“We’re from the government and we’re here to help you” historically tells you that if it can be screwed up, it will be. SNAFU!!!!!!!!!!!
Dying to know what we’re going to do about it.
The Republican Party is truly the Ben Sasse brigade. They just won’t say so.
Republicans’ have shown themselves to be weasels.
Republicans cannot be trusted any more than Democrats. Trump won because he’s an outsider. We need outsiders in Congress, too.
“Now how about going out and voting for some real people to help Our President who WE elected to run this country and save America and her people!!!”
I beg to differ, HL27.
Better that We the People work on the state level to invoke Article V or nullification or something.
President Trump is a good man, an honest man - but he is only one man. Washington will never voluntary give up power, no matter how unconstitutional that power may be.
You’re 100% right. I can’t wait to see what the primary season brings us, although I’m afraid we’ll see many of them show their true colors as did Thad Cochran (R. Miss) a few years ago.
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