Here comes the reconciliation “nobody” is talking about; Update: Oba-kabuki lab coat props reappear; “Make your voice heard;” McConnell: “National referendum”
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Photoshop: Leo Alberti
It’s official. After months of threatening to push the button on the so-called nuclear option, reconciliation — the parliamentary maneuver that Harry Reid said “nobody” is talking about and that President Obama said Americans didn’t care about last week — is a go.
Politico this morning quotes Tom Harkin signaling the green light:
Sen. Tom Harkin told POLITICO that Senate Democratic leaders have decided to go the reconciliation route. The House, he said, will first pass the Senate bill after Senate leaders demonstrate to House leaders that they have the votes to pass reconciliation in the Senate.
Harkin made the comments after a meeting in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office including Harkin and Sens. Baucus, Dodd, Durbin, Schumer and Murray.
When asked whether the leaders had made the decision, Durbin said: “We are moving ahead with a version of the health care reform bill that we believe has a good chance of passing both the House and the Senate.”
He then put the onus on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to signal whether she can provide enough votes to pass the Senate bill, followed by a package of fixes through reconciliation.
Last night, Jake Tapper said President Obama was ready for reconciliation:
White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue to get a health care reform bill passed but will suggest that if it is necessary, Democrats will use the controversial “reconciliation” rules requiring only 51 Senate votes to pass the “fix” to the Senate bill, as opposed to the 60 votes to stop a filibuster and proceed to a vote on a bill.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been awaiting the president’s remarks direction on how health care reform will proceed.
In his remarks, scheduled to be at the White House, the president will paint a picture of what he will say will happen without a health care reform bill – skyrocketing premiums, everyone at the mercy of the insurance industry as recently seen with the 39% premium increases proposed by Anthem Blue Cross in California.
He will note that the “fixed” bill will include the proposal for a new “Health Insurance Rate Authority” to set guidelines for reasonable rate increases. If proposed premium increases are not justifiable per those Health Insurance Rate Authority guidelines, the Health and Human Services Secretary or state regulators could block them.
The plan to pass the bill includes having the House of Representatives pass the Democratic Senate health care reform legislation as well as a second bill containing various “fixes.”
The president will call for an up or down vote on health care reform, as has happened in the past, and though he won’t use the word “reconciliation,” he’ll make it clear that if they’re not given an up or down vote, Democrats will use the reconciliation rules as Republicans have done in the past.
The GOP is preparing for battle, according to Sen. John Thune:
Republicans are preparing to raise points of order and other roadblocks to the healthcare bill, a member of the Senate GOP leadership said Tuesday evening.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the fourth-ranking Senate Republican who serves as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, said the GOP is prepared for a number of scenarios in which they would seek to slow down or halt passage of healthcare legislation once it comes back before the Senate.
“I still think it creates a lot of problems when it comes back to the Senate because there will be lots of points of order that will lie against the bill in the Senate, and obviously, we will, hopefully, have the opportunity to raise some of those,” Thune said of the health bill during an appearance on Fox News.
At issue is the new bill of healthcare legislation changes the House is expected to pass under budget reconciliation rules. Under those rules, the legislation only has to achieve a simple majority in the Senate instead of the 60 normally needed to end a filibuster. Such a maneuver would effectively sidestep Republican opposition to the health bill.
“You know, I don’t want to concede that it’s going to pass for sure yet,” Thune said. “I still think that there’s a lot of clock left in this game.”
The NRCC has gone code red.
Hugh Hewitt says: Let a million amendments bloom.
Steve Ertelt reports that Pelosi is still lying about abortion funding.
Phone/contact list for target House Dems here.
Your handy video flashback of the day via Naked Emperor News/BreibartTV:
CBS Interview 11/2/04
My understanding of the Senate is that you need 60 votes to get something significant to happen, which means that Democrats and Republicans have to ask the question, do we have the will to move an American agenda forward, not a Democratic or Republican agenda forward?
Change to Win Convention 9/25/07
The bottom line is that our healthcare plans are similar, the question once again is, who can get it done? Who can build a movement for change? This is an area where we’re going to have to have a 60% majority in the Senate and the House in order to actually get a bill to my desk. We’re going to have to have a majority to get a bill to my desk. That is not just a fifty plus one majority.
Obama Interview with the Concord Monitor 10/9/07
You’ve got to break out of what I call the sort of fifty plus one pattern of presidential politics. Maybe you eke out a victory of fifty plus one. Then you can’t govern. You know, you get Air Force One, there are a lot of nice perks, but you can’t deliver on healthcare. We are not going to pass universal health care with a fifty plus one strategy.
Center for American Progress Conference 7/12/06
Those big-ticket items: fixing our health care system. You know, one of the arguments that sometimes I get with my fellow progressives, and some of these have flashed up in the blog communities on occasion, is this notion that we should function sort of like Karl Rove where we identify our core base, we throw ’em red meat, we get a fifty plus one victory. See, Karl Rove doesn’t need a broad consensus because he doesn’t believe in government. If we want to transform the country, though, that requires a sizeable majority.
***
One more terrific reconciliation photoshop from Maksim at The People’s Cube:
***
Substratum says conservatives must control the narrative on reconciliation. A reminder about Robert Byrd:
Control the narrative on Senate reconciliation and leveraged pressure against wavering House members is yours. Public knowledge of Byrd’s strong feelings against using reconciliation for healthcare as outlined here and here. This knowledge alone kills the meme that reconciliation is a harmless little fuzzy bunny that has been used before by Republicans and therefore it is perfectly acceptable to use it to overhaul 1/6 of the U.S. economy.
Ubiquitous public awareness the architect of Senate reconciliation is against using the procedural tactic to pass ObamaCare will cause vulnerable House members to reach for the Maalox and lose trust in both the process and the end result in terms of the blowback by their constituents and the unceremonious end of said Representative’s political career. Pelosi would find it even harder to garner support for ObamaCare; nobody is willing to fall on a sword for the queen of contempt. In short, House members will be tainted by the Senate procedure.
To state it another way, the Senate procedural maneuver will effectively scare away votes in the House. This will work if the GOP starts talking – and talking a great deal. Wide exposure on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, talk radio, and in the blogosphere will only aid our cause and the goal to kill ObamaCare for good. There will be an argument that reconciliation will only be used to pass “fixes” to the bill. However, if the bill will not pass without reconciliation, then it is clear that reconciliation is the means by which the entire healthcare system will be overhauled. The argument falls apart and reconciliation is once again front-and-center as the means by which ObamaCare will be passed.
****
Update 1:54pm Eastern: Obama is on the tee-vee again, with white lab-coated doctor props flanking him on stage again.
Flashback October 2009: Spin doctors for Obamacare.
Obama claims that “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”
GOP House staffer Michael Steel responds:
If that line sounds familiar, it’s because it was a staple of the President’s rhetoric on health care last year.
We haven’t hear it in a while because it’s not true. Media outlets, including the Associated Press and ABC News debunked the claim thoroughly, noting that even White House officials acknowledged the president’s rhetoric shouldn’t be taken “literally.” Eventually, the White House press office took it out of the President’s speeches.
Why is it coming back now? Does the White House think reporters have forgotten it isn’t true?
2:11pm Eastern. “Make your voice heard,” Obama urges. Unless you’re a member of that Tea Party angry mob. Remember: The White House wants you people to shut up and get out of the way.
***
WaPo” Defining “nuclear.”
2:46pm Eastern. GOP Sen. McConnell responds to Obama: “I would say to my Democratic colleagues, you ignore the overwhelming desires of the American people at your own peril.” If Demcare gets rammed down Americans’ throats, McConnell says midterms will be a “national referendum” on the issue.
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Trackbacks
- GayPatriot » Does this make Obama a liar or just a hypocrite?
- Is Progressivism Just Communism Under a Different Name? : Excellence In America
- Controlling The Narrative On Reconciliation | The Substratum
- Riehl World View
- jobs-jobs-jobs? « Finding Ponies…
- Democrats Will 'Short Circuit' the Constitution to Pass ObamaCare Through Reconciliation | The Lonely Conservative
- Democrats Will 'Short Circuit' the Constitution to Pass ObamaCare Through Reconciliation | The Lonely Conservative
- Off The Cliff « The Clampdown
- “Only Glenn Beck Understands Me . . . There’s A Communist In The White House!” | 'Okie' on the Lam
- » Links To Visit – 03/03/10 NoisyRoom.net: There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt. John Adams
- Hillary Clinton 2012, Part II – It’s The Economy, Stupid! — Hillary Is 44
- Health Care BS - BARK-BARK, WUFF-WUFF: OBAMA THREATENS NUCLEAR OPTION
- Like it or not America, here comes ObamaCARE via reconciliation : Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Tea Party Patriot Action Alert: call your Congress Critters, No means No!! « Moderate in the Middle
- A Children’s Primer To The Various Points Of The Reconciliation Debate « Around The Sphere
- Papa Mike’s Blog » Blog Archive » Obama & Dims Ready to Ram Obamacare Down America’s Throat (Video)….
- Riehl World View: When In The Course Of Human Events | Pierre Legrand's Pink Flamingo Bar
- The Anchoress | A First Things Blog
- Right Sightings | Right Soup
- No Runny Eggs » Blog Archive » Friday Hot Read – Charles Krauthammer’s “Why the Health Care Bill is a Failure”
- Michelle Malkin » Make your voice heard: Counter-protest the Obamacare Road Show
- Protest ObamaCare – Stand Up Once More for America’s Future – Michelle Malkin – CitizenWells – The BOPAC Report « “The BOPAC Report” & Larry Sinclair’s Allegations – ZachJonesIsHome
- Michelle Malkin » A wrench in Dems’ Wreckonciliation plans
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National Referendum?? Referendum?? How is this not worthy of a revolution? Senator McConnell, you are too much the gentleman and not near enough a leader. Either lead or get safely behind the Patriots! I LOVE THE SMELL OF TEA IN THE MORNING!
If it can be passed by reconciliation, it can be repealed by reconciliation. Vote Dem congressmen and senators out in 2010, and Obama out in 2012.
We have to aim for a 67 seat majority in the Senate so Obummer can’t veto legislation fixing what the Dims screw up.
“Media outlets, including the Associated Press and ABC News debunked the claim thoroughly, noting that even White House officials acknowledged the president’s rhetoric shouldn’t be taken “literally.” ”
In other words, “hope and change” was a big fat lie designed to get him into office, and “your premiums will go down” and “your taxes won’t go up one dime” are in the toilet with the rest of Obama’s “promises”.
What a (political) tool.
Roger that. Yesterday, Nanny didn’t have the votes to do it, or she would have already done it.
Today, The One makes his corageously valliant stand employing his awesomely awesome oratorical genious to convince congresscritters to fight the good fight and sacrifice their political lives if necessary for the greater good of the masses against their ignorant collective will!!
Tomorrow, Nanny still won’t have the votes to do it. She won’t have them in two weeks or two months. Period.
More sound and fury signifying nothing. Keep digging BarryO! We’ll fill in the hole behind you.
Just when you thought the stench couldn’t get worse…
Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?
Finally some transparency. Transparent coercion and mind boggling arrogance.
royals? no I don’t think so…tyrants maybe..
*I still firmly believe no Demcare bill in present form will make it to P-BO’s desk this year; But that doesn’t change the fact that the Democrat Party is the “Death to America” Party and must be punished severely, as well as all the RINO rat bastards that have saddled up this socialist horse over the years that P-BO now rides.
Did Obama ever push for “an up or down vote” on President Bush’s judicial nominees?
No.
He was quite content to participate in Democratic filibusters of President Bush’s judicial nominees.
He only seems to care about “an up or down vote” when it is his only hope of “transforming America” and driving us down The Road to Socialism USA
Here’s a quote from the only Constitution Obama cares about:
Socialism isn’t the endpoint. It’s just a waypoint on the road to their true destination: Communism.
On March 3rd, 2010 at 7:30 pm, jrgdds said:
Wrong.
Even with a Republican President taking office in Jan 2013, this Senate bill, if passed now, would still require a 2/3 supermajority in both houses in order to repeal it.
Why?
Harry Reid’s Manager’s ammendment. It is an unprecedented, historic power grab that makes it “out of order” to try to repeal it.
As Senator Jim DeMint said,
To me, that is one of the most offensive parts of this entire power grab.
The Democratic Socialist Communists want to pass this with 50 Senators (“+1″ Joe Biden), but require Republicans to reach 68 Senators (or more, if “squishy” Republicans don’t go along) in order to pass a rule change to repeal it. When was the last time Republicans had 68 or more seats in the Senate?
‘white coats’?…Aren’t those the new ‘Mao Jackets’?
It’s embarrassing that Michelle Malkin, Fox news, and the rest of the extreme right-wing doesn’t even know (or likes to lie) about what the nuclear option really is. It ain’t reconciliaton:
During the 111th congress, opponents of Democratic legislative initiatives incorrectly began to refer to the budget reconciliation process as the nuclear option.[6] For a discussion of the legislatively-enacted reconciliation process, which only requires a majority vote, but which – unlike the nuclear option – does not alter Senate rules, see Reconciliation (United States Congress). Before late 2009, the term nuclear option had been used only to refer to the procedure outlined below.
LINK
This bit of info has been reported everywhere. Anyone who is honestly paying attention to this debate knows this.
And btw, the entire bill isn’t being jammed through using reconciliation. Only the few changes (including many Republicans proposed) are being added using reconciliation. The Senate already voted this legislation in with 60 votes.
Are you guys even paying attention?!?
Not true. My plan will eventually go broke competing against a government option that can print money and never has to make a dime’s worth of profit to stay in business. My doctor will move to some place like Costa Rica so he can continue to make a livable wage and that’s just a bit too far to commute.
Everybody who isn’t a member of the A-list will be stuck in the same situation. Our affirmative action president will ensure we get affirmative action doctors working in third world hell-hole conditions.
On March 3rd, 2010 at 10:45 pm, tettes said:
Yes, we are.
We are paying attention to how Obama said
Are YOU even paying attention?!?
Everyone but you understands the term nuclear option has to do with taking action that will destroy the filibuster.
If you Democrats do this, the filibuster is history. Everyone but you knows this.
That poster above with Obama as king whatever..I hate bumper stickers but I’d put that one on. It catches his attitude so perfectly.
To use an old military term, after listening to Jim Demint tonight, I think the Senate Republicans have Obama flanked.
It’s a beautiful thing.
I think the old veterans just schooled Obama who never stayed in the Senate long enough to learn how things work.
Regardless of the name ascribed to this attempt to circumvent the parliamentary process (Nuclear Option or Reconciliation) the following sequence of events has to take place before they can pass anything with only 51 votes.
1. The House must pass the Senate Bill as is without so much as a change in the punctuation, let alone the verbiage.
2. The bill then goes to the President for him to sign into law.
3. Once it is signed into law it goes back to the Senate for modifications, and this is where things get sticky.
At this point the House members no longer have any say so on anything. From here on out it is completely in the hands of Harry Reid and the Senate.
This means that the House members have to sign on to a bill they do not agree with at all and then trust the Senate to make the changes they would like to have made to the original Senate bill.
Believe it or not the Senate could just say screw the House and decline to make any changes when it comes back from the White House. Obviously that would make for an all out war between the House and Senate.
When they start to pursue changes then the Senate Parliamentarian rules item by item in the bill on which parts actually relate to the “Budget”, and eliminates those sections or items that are non-budgetary in nature.
Each and every section identified as related to the Budget can then have unlimited amendments proposed against it, each of which has to be voted on and still requires 60 votes to be accepted.
Once all of the items in the entire 2000+ pages have been gone through they can look to add new amendments as “changes” in the bill, again each proposal requiring 60 votes to pass.
It is only after the entire bill has been examined section by section that they can vote to pass the “amended” version of the bill.
THEN and ONLY THEN can they use the 51 vote option to pass the amended bill.
Hope this simplified overview helps clarify this for some that do not seem to fully understand how this will all play out.
DOES SECTION 3403 PREVENT CONGRESS FROM ABOLISHING THE BOARD? LINK HERE
I’m not a Lawyer but I read this article sometime ago. There is at least one opinion that the Managers Board and any other part of the bill can be terminated.
A 3/5 majority is a filibuster proof majority The Dems don’t have it; yet they are attempting to force Obamacare through with a simple majority. There must be conservatives figuring various tactics to repeal this bill if it is sucessful in becoming law. One of those tactics would be by using reconciliation. The Dems are opening the door to such methods. You may be right. I pray not.
obama: To me, he’s sort of like the oozing puss that you can see emerging from the backside of a cow after it drops a load.
Yeah, that’s what obama is to me.
He’s the oozing puss.
Gee MM,
Why not throw up a RED ALERT BANNER whenever you’re appearing on TV or where ever, especially since we out-working types will never see you Fox interviews on video clips?
James Greenidge
Queens NY
Obama’s aberration is the biggest entitlement program in our history and it completely removes your right to choose your doctor and will determine whether you live or die based on the cost effectiveness of saving your life. You will be forced to pay for this disgusting garbage and if you don’t you will be disciplined and fined. And seniors . . . watch out because Medicare will be destroyed and you’ll be lucky if you can find a doctor that will provide you care. Only a hardened communist or a fool could love this beast and it must be stopped at all costs. Don’t believe what the left is touting because they will lie and cheat to pass this legislation and gain total control over your lives. Question every part of it . . . get straight answers and accept nothing short of the truth because your lives and liberties depend on it.
In the future, may I suggest when you attack the credibility – and illustrate the ignorance – of carefully fact checked reporting, you may wish to use a source other than a Wiki article, which can be written by anyone, and especially this one in which: “The neutrality of this article has been disputed” – and is unresolved
PMSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, NYT, WaPo etc, etc, have also referred to it as the “so called nuclear option.”
As Roland pointed out, the term accurately refers in a broad sense to bypassing the fillibuster. Neither party will eliminate it, as they know they will someday need it when they are in the minority. If precident is set of reconciliation being used for this purpose, it accomplishes the same end.
Clue to You. Come in please – Transmission garbled.
The only way reconciliation is even possible is for the House to pass the Senate bill, exactly as is. It then must be signed by Dear Leader – then be returned to the Senate where they use “reconciliation” to fund the parts the House demands included and/or defund the parts the House demands are removed. Said issues to be worked out in advanced behind closed doors via back room and under the table deals.
Source: Refer to your 9th grade Civics book.
Nice segment on Fox and Friends Micelle!!! Keep up the great work…the wife is headed your way for a baby shower with her daughter…
Great job, Michelle, on your Fox and Friends segment. Nice description of
“Wreckconciliation”..
Paying attention to what? Somebody who gets their information from Wikipedia?
No.
I believe in the Constitution of the United States of America. I have fought for it, and will continue to defend it.
Why?
It is the single most important document written by men expressing their views and their expression of Freedom. The authors and signers of these documents saw firsthand oppression, tyranny, corruption of power, elitist manipulation of laws, and suppression of individuals. They put their lives on the line to support these views, not the lives of other citizens but their own lives and livelihood. They did not send the children of others to fight their war, but stood in the front ranks along with their fellow citizens, this was their conviction.
I will not stand in defiance of progress, but when the elitist raise their ugly agenda and attempt to ram it down the throats of protesting citizens, it is time to call a halt to their campaign, and I for one will stand before them in protest and force of arms if necessary. As in the conflicts surrounding the founding of this nation, the citizens will rise to defend their rights of freedom. No tyrant, or tyrannical ideology will long stand before them.
Rush Limbaugh is 100% correct in his assertion that Obama & Company are wanting to remake the U. S. into a European Socialist Country. Politicians will not risk their jobs for anything or anyone. They will defy Presidents, friends, political parties, the world. But they will not go against the voters. 75% of American people oppose this bill. Why are Democrat Lawmakers willing to lose their jobs? The only answer is to further Obama’s goal of a European Socialist State! This is their chance and they say to hell with the American people.
DesertLover: I have a question (thanks for your very clear outline of “nuclear option”, by the way).
What would keep the House from accepting the Senate’s version, once signed by I-WON, ? I would bet that Natzi Pelosi will capitulate to the Senate before listening to anyone in the House.
babiesgrandma …
Several issues for the House members such as:
The Senate bill allows public funding of abortion …
The Senate bill includes all of the outrageous bribes and exemptions for Nebraska, Louisiana, Florida, Connecticut, Arkansas, and others …
The Senate bill includes all the union exemptions from the “Cadillac Tax” … giving big unions and most government employees relief from paying that health care policy tax …
That is just for starters … there is much more …
Remember … the House can not make any changes before signing the Senate version … that means their entire bill goes in the trash and they have to trust that the Senate will make changes that incorporate things from the House version of the bill in the “reconciled” version after BO signs it into law exactly as it came out of the Senate …
The final law would be the “reconciled” version passed with only 51 votes by the Senate …
The election of obama is a defacto national referendum on individual freedom. A capitalist nation loves freedom. A socialist nation loves comfortable slavery, and obama clearly represents the latter. The question is now whether socialism will be rejected and rejected for decades – or whether 10% unemployment and massive entitlement oriented big government will be permanently acceptable as it is in Europe.
As far as November being a national referendum, it doesn’t matter what the Dums do, they are going to walk the plank. Obama, of course, will veto post 2010 election attempts to repeal his socialistic agenda but thankfully the House of Representatives, in conservative hands, can control the purse and make obama dangle at the end of an ever shortening leash.
Two Dums tried to explain to me last night that Dums had to pass this bill to save their jobs. Yes, they are that Dum.
Senator Byrd HIMSELF stopped President Clinton from using “the Byrd reconcilation rule” to pass Hillarycare!