Mitch McConnell Willing To Kill Obamacare With Just 51 Votes

[big_dog]

Source: The Washington Examiner- 4 hours ago


Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says he would be willing to repeal Obamacare with a simple majority if he takes over as majority leader in January, his spokesman told the Washington Examiner on Thursday. The announcement comes just days before Tuesday's midterm congressional election, in which Republicans have a strong chance of seizing the upper chamber from the Democrats and putting the Kentucky senator in charge.

"Leader McConnell is and has always been committed to the full repeal of Obamacare, and he'll continue to lead efforts to repeal and replace it with patient-centered reforms that enable greater choice at lower costs. He knows it won't be easy, but he also believes that if Republicans are fortunate enough to take back the majority we’ll owe it to the American people to try through votes on full repeal, the bill’s most onerous provisions, and reconciliation,” McConnell spokesman Brian McGuire wrote in an emailed statement.

Reconciliation is a parliamentary maneuver that allows legislation to be passed without needing the usual 60 votes to overcome blockage by a filibuster. The question of how far Republicans are willing to go to fight Obamacare now that the law is providing benefits to millions of Americans will be one of the top issues confronting the party should they take the majority in the midterm elections. McConnell drew headlines on Tuesday when he said on Fox News when asked about fully repealing Obamacare that, "It would take 60 votes in the Senate, and no one thinks we’re going to have 60 Republicans.” He added, “And it would take a president — presidential signature. And no one thinks we're going to get that.”

A number of people took the comment to mean that he wouldn’t be willing to use a tool known as “reconciliation” to attempt to repeal the law. Though legislation typically requires 60 votes in the Senate to stave off a filibuster by the minority, the rules allow for budget-related items to be passed through a reconciliation process that requires a simple 51-vote majority. Democrats used the procedure to help get Obamacare across the congressional finish line in 2010 after passing the underlying bill with 60 votes in 2009. It remains an open question as to how much of the law could be repealed through the complicated reconciliation process. For instance, the law’s spending provisions could probably be repealed this way, but regulations that aren’t directly related to the budget likely couldn’t be.



Read more: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mitch-mcconnell-willing-to-kill-obamacare-with-just-51-votes/article/2555486

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[notrightatall]

1. Good for him. He will not be there,

and then there is that pesky veto.

[Fred Sanders]

3. You miss the point, he lies, then covers the lies with more lies, no complicated analysis needed.

[notrightatall]

5. Mitch lies????

I'm shocked!

[Autumn]

2. Of course.

Fuck him.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Agreed, fuck him and the Koch cocks he has shoved up his ass.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. A private citizen can do that?

That's news to me.

[riversedge]

20. Best post yet

[Scuba]

6. The R's will change the filibuster rule the minute they take control of the Senate.

Let's hope they don't.

[Fred Sanders]

8. They will. And then when President Obama vetoes all of them they will cry to their corporate media

how the President is opposing "the will of the people" and fucking not so free press with nod along like the fucking GOP bobble heads they have become.

Vote, for fucks sake, unlikely voters, it is likley you are fucked if you do not.

[Scuba]

12. He may veto their bills, but they would be able to de-fund the government, or at least ...

... all of it except the subsidies to their owners.

[still_one]

17. doesn't it require 2/3 to defund?

[Scuba]

18. I don't believe so. They just have to refuse to pass spending bills.

[SunSeeker]

33. They can and already do that now. nt

[Scuba]

36. I guess, more accurately, they have to pass spending bills that don't fund the programs ....

... they don't want.

Right now such bills die in the Senate.

[jeff47]

47. And those shutdowns have always come back to hurt Congress

Politically, those shutdowns have always come back to hurt Congress instead of the President. Reagan, Clinton and Obama all came out much more popular, and Congress less popular. So much so that it cost the party in charge of Congress seats in the subsequent election.

[Scuba]

50. Horse's mouth ...

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/2014-election-mitch-mcconnells-barack-obama-confrontation-110154.html

Mitch McConnell has a game plan to confront President Barack Obama with a stark choice next year: Accept bills reining in the administration’s policies or veto them and risk a government shutdown.

In an extensive interview here, the typically reserved McConnell laid out his clearest thinking yet of how he would lead the Senate if Republicans gain control of the chamber. The emerging strategy: Attach riders to spending bills that would limit Obama policies on everything from the environment to health care, consider using an arcane budget tactic to circumvent Democratic filibusters and force the president to “move to the center” if he wants to get any new legislation through Congress.


McConnell is well aware of the difficulties ahead should he finally achieve his political dream. “Being leader is sort of like being the groundskeeper to a cemetery: Everybody is under you but nobody is listening,” he said with a big laugh, crediting Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander for coming up with the line.

[jeff47]

51. And?

The people running Congress always go into it believing that this time they'll win. After all, if they thought it would bite them in the ass, they wouldn't do it.

So the turtle says he'll do it. And it will bite him in the ass. And he will be surprised when it does.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

13. And no way could they override his veto

They need 67 and they can't change that. It's in the U.S. Constitution, not the Senate rules.

[C Moon]

10. Beat me to it. I'm sure that will be their first order of business. I said that years ago...

That if the GOP ever get full power in the Senate, it will be their first order of business.

[SoapBox]

21. And exactly why I don't understand how every single Dem, Lib and Progressive

in this country is not voting.

GOTV...Keep the PukeBagger Terrorists out of office.

[appalachiablue]

43. You said it! Don't know why Dem. leaders will not address the obvious to increase awareness

and voter turnout; that many people do not seek news on the internet, many can't afford it or Sirius XM radio. People are Unaware that MSM is mainly consolidated, corporate, mostly RW.
MSNBC costs, FOX is FREE and everywhere, like Hate Radio. Would it be too much for dems. to provide a couple good quality, accessible TV/Radio Programs or a print Magazine to reach more people?

(some credit to G. for Current TV). Thanks, went on a vent, sorry...

[another_liberal]

9. If he gets reelected . . .

He'll do a lot worse than that, if he gets reelected and has fifty-one votes in the Senate.

[world wide wally]

11. What that translates to is:

"The filibuster is dead if we take the Senate. Tough shit, Harry Reid, you spineless jellyfish"

[blkmusclmachine]

56. Harry did exactly what he wanted to do. No regrets from that compromised politico.

[madville]

14. So President Obama just vetos it

And their House and Senate votes mean nothing once he does that since they won't have 2/3 majority to override.

[still_one]

16. Exactly, a waste of time, which is all the republicans are good for

[freshwest]

23. There is no line item veto. They can hold up funding the government for it. A worse shutdown...

And don't think they won't. They want a disastrous economic and social milieu to finish the Koch agenda.

[Treant]

38. Backfire probability high

Every time the Republicans shut down government, the Republicans have paid for it.

Mind you, I don't think they're bright enough to learn. But fortunately, Americans don't seem dumb enough to buy it.

[freshwest]

40. November 4th will prove one way or another what price they will pay. This is not the 1990s.

So much of what was taken for granted and accepted then is villified now, by both the 'right' and the 'left.' I'm not so optimistic Americans are 'not that dumb' since both sides gave us a Tea Party majority in 2010 and it remains in place for the time being.

If the American people were not 'dumb,' although I prefer to say 'brainwashed' by media of all kinds, we wouldn't have been forced into the Sequester which is still ongoing, the shutdown in 2013 and continued threats of default.

The Tea Party is promising the latter. They have built a culture so opposite to what you and I may think is sane, reasonable and good for the country, that there is no compromise from them. They insist on a return to the 'states' rights' era in all fifty states now.

I fervently hope that I am wrong, and you are right. Thanks for the good word.

[jeff47]

49. Except shutdowns have already happened

and resulted in Congress taking the blame. And the party controlling Congress losing seats. Happened during Obama, Clinton and Reagan administrations. In all three cases, the party controlling Congress was hurt.

Now, it would definitely suck while the shutdown was going on. But there's little reason to believe this time the President would suffer the blame.

IOW, it would actually make it harder to pass the Koch agenda.

[still_one]

15. even if the rebukes take the senate, the President will veto it. The best gift of course would be

to see mcconnel's ass handed to him during the election

[Monk06]

19. At this point in the campaign Mitch would be willing to bury his wife in an anthill if it got him

elected.

Some insane shit will be said by the GOPers in the next week.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. Bet his Base hasn't seen him with his wife....

Former Secretary of Labor under Bush who let mine safety standards go unenforced leading to several disasters.

[SunSeeker]

35. He has such a skeevy, creepy look.

That picture makes me want to

[KingCharlemagne]

54. Not a picture to see on Halloween Eve, that's for sure. Ugh! - nt

[Treant]

39. I can't say what I'm thinking

he's thinking in that photo. It undoubtedly breaks some posting rule on this site somewhere...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

53. My main problem with her was the way she let employers screw workers....

We're talking overtime, last paycheck, back pay, vacation pay, even paying minimum wage, the usual complaints made by employees were ignored on a national level. ESPECIALLY if the employee was poor.

[SoapBox]

22. Can you seriously imagine the shit these creeps would do to Americans?

[freshwest]

26. Yes, and Sanders has put it out for Americans to view:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024806298

The ACA and the rest on that list would be repealed. Mitch won't say when asked directly if Social Security would be privatized, but that's the plan for it.

Obama has said it would not happen on his watch, but the Teabaggers are gnawing at the social safety net nationally and in the states. They have, and will, extort the White House by threatening default as they still say they want it.

The ensuing chaos would bring about their regressive revolution, not a liberal one. It's a win-win for them as they don't believe in having a civil society.

[SoapBox]

31. It really is terrifying.

And people love to think/say...Oh, stuff like "that" doesn't affect me.

Ya, right.

[freshwest]

42. Yes. 'What goes around, comes around.'

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. I picture rioting nationwide as people are kicked off of Medicaid.

[savalez]

27. And Dems will take back congress in 2016. n/t

[bigdarryl]

45. Not if we don't adress all these crazy voter laws the rethugs are puting in place

[Kingofalldems]

28. Right wing news source.

[PatrynXX]

29. kinda hope he follows thru

cause when people lose their ACA/ ie Medicare. there'll be hell to pay..

[RoverSuswade]

30. Especially in Kentucky.

Grimes should saturate the TVs with an ad explaining what McTurtle is going to do if they reelect him.

[SoapBox]

32. 100% agree.

Why Dems aren't running with this stuff is beyond me!

[SunSeeker]

34. Exactly right. nt

[bluestateguy]

37. Good! Do it!

Just so I can see Obama's awesome Rose Garden bill vetoing ceremony, flanked by families who have insurance for the first time under the ACA. It would be quite a cool thing to watch.

[KeepItReal]

41. Totally agree with you!

eom

[ballyhoo]

44. Mitch looking out the window tomorrow night...or every night...

[IMG][/IMG]

[lobodons]

46. Great!! Then the filibuster will be forever be gone.

Let him do it. Then when the Dems win back the Senate in 2016 (they have a favorable map and its a presidential year) they will not have to worry about the Filibuster themselves. It will be officially dead. Good Riddence

[blkmusclmachine]

57. There'll be SOME excuse as to why the DEMS have to remain powerless. 100% guaranteed.

Oh, yeah, they're BOTH owned by the 1%!

[blackspade]

48. Grimes should pound the shit out of him on this.

Obamacare has worked wonders in KY.

[sabbat hunter]

52. everyone who

is covered under ACA and would not have health care otherwise, should bombard his office with emails and phone calls telling him that his decision to kill ACA will kill us.

[sakabatou]

55. So Mitch wants people to die quickly

[brooklynite]

58. Paging George Will...George Will to the White Courtesy Telephone

[Yupster]

59. My guesses

He would vote to kill Obamacare.

Obama vetoes.

Then he passes much smaller things.

Kill the medical device tax. Does Obama veto that?

Eliminate the individual mandate. Does Obama veto that?

Eliminate the employer mandate. Veto?

Fund the Keystone pipeline. Veto?

That's my guess.

[Calista241]

60. I personally think the keystone pipeline will be one of the first things they pass.

Then they'll come out with Obama vetos jobs bill commercials. If, in fact, Obama vetos it.