"Reconciliation" to win passage of national health insurance

[DailyGrind51]

" * MARCH 20, 2009

Democrats Angle for Health-Care Edge

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By JONATHAN WEISMAN and JOHN D. MCKINNON

WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democratic leaders and the Obama White House are likely to use a parliamentary procedure to win passage this year of a national health-insurance program, people familiar with the discussions said Thursday.

For Congress to pass such a monumental program using a special maneuver would be unusual. But the tactic -- allowing legislation to pass the Senate with 51 votes rather than the 60 need to overcome a possible filibuster -- has been used by Republican and Democratic administrations to secure major initiatives, from Bill Clinton's tax increases in 1993 to George W. Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.


Barack Obama

Employing the tactic would almost certainly lead to more partisan clashes as President Barack Obama's budget starts down the legislative path in coming days.

"This is the most significant public-policy pursuit in our time, for taxes, for spending and for all Americans, and they want to do it virtually without debate and without amendment," said New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

"If the Democrats insist on moving forward alone, no amount of bipartisan rhetoric will be able to cover up the stench of these highly partisan and draconian tactics," said Antonia Ferrier, a spokeswoman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R., Ohio).

Such concerns also make it unlikely the Democrats will use the same technique to ease passage of a controversial Obama proposal to cap so-called greenhouse-gas emissions and force companies to purchase and trade emissions permits on the open market.

The parliamentary tactic, known as "reconciliation," was the main subject of conversation Wednesday night as White House Budget Director Peter Orszag met with Democratic leaders, Democratic leadership aides said. On Tuesday, Mr. Orszag had called it the norm, not an anomaly, for major budget initiatives..."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123750672953890227.html

[county worker]

1. they want to do it virtually without debate and without amendment

Payback is a bitch isn't it?

[Metta]

2. And when Thugs did it, it was too bad, Jim.

There should be instant karma for those hypocrites and traitors.