Posted on 02/22/2010 4:52:25 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
White House officials today publicly made it clear that should Thursday’s bipartisan health care reform summit not result in a legislative kumbaya, with Democrats and Republicans setting aside differences to come together on a bipartisan bill, Democrats are likely to pursue a legislative path for finishing up the bill that includes using controversial “reconciliation” rules in the Senate, requiring a majority vote instead of the 60-vote threshold that has become par for the course.
“The president wants and believes the American people deserve an up-or-down vote on health reform,” White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said Monday morning on a conference call, using the language to describe a 51-vote majority vote, instead of the 60-vote threshold to stave off a potential filibuster.
Pfeiffer also acknowledged that the health care reform proposal the White House posted this morning was designed with practicality –- not theoretical constructs –- in mind. White House officials posted the Senate Democrats’ bill that passed by a party-line vote on Dec. 24, 2009, and a list of fixes to that bill.
The idea is that the House would pass the Senate bill and the House and Senate would both pass a legislative “fix.”
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.abcnews.com ...
The theory goes that they (the House & the Senate) will pass a Reconciliation Bill first. Then the House will pass the Senate bill. This would work (in theory), so long as the President signs the Senate bill (passed by the House), then the Reconciliation bill (passed by both Houses). The purpose of the Reconciliation Bill is to change everything in the bill the House doesn't like, and that the Senate couldn't get in the first place because of the filibuster.
Of course, this all presupposes that the Senate and House Parliamentarian will play ball, which of course remains to be seen. Also, that presupposes that the House could now get 217 votes to pass the Reconciliation Bill - again, a very big "if". I don't think that they can get it done in the House, not with the loss of Murtha and Wexler.
Come to think of it he'll preen and strut for a couple of hours anyway.
Are Journalists Socialists because it is profitable or because they are so stinking liberal they hate those who are capitalists?
THIS IS ALL A BIG BS BLUFF! THEY DON”T HAVE THE VOTES!
They hope the GOP is stupid enough to compromise on “something” and then they can push this piece of crap through.
This bill will never clear the house!
This charade is the only thing transparent about the whole health insurance deform debacle.
The anointed one needs the pubbies to come to the table so he can tell the American people he tried, and the ‘opposition’ refused to engage.
The pubbies ought to stand their ground. They have the American people behind them on this one. The DhimmiRats don’t need them for anything other than political cover.
If they play into the hand of the pretender, they don’t deserve our support.
These bastards are preening for their base!
The People have had their own vote, and the result was a rather emphatic "NO!"
I think and hope you're right. I don't count the votes in the House, but I don't think that they'd have any problems finding 50 in the Senate to go along.
Limbaugh made a great point on today's show. The Dems have been waiting for this moment for the better part of 70 years. They aren't going to go quietly into the night. Rush seemed to think that they might get something passed, irrespective of the costs to them in the long run. He also said that they already realize that they're losing the House FOR SURE in the fall, and may lose the Senate. So for them, it's now or never.
Am I the only one who thinks this is just a threat? They couldn’t get it done when they had the majority. Why on earth would they be able to get it done now?? More and more Americans are opposed to it. And we’re approaching mid-term elections, where incumbents are thought to be vulnerable.
I say this is a threat. I could very well be wrong but threats seem to be this administration’s MO. All talk, very little action.
There will not be a single vote for BOcare in either the House or Senate.
The real action will be in the House if they go with reconciliation. Reid can assemble 50+Biden to reach 51. The question is whether Pelosi can assemble 217. Most experts say she cannot; I hope they are correct. Much will depend on Stupak and whether he can deliver a dozen or so votes. To this end, Obama was stupid to embrace the Senate language on abortion rather than the House language.
They will be even more dangerous during a lame duck session in November-December b4 the new Congress is seated.
Single GOP vote. Apologies.
The blue dogs are yellow dogs and will do what odumbo tells them. HC will pass!
So: is Hussein bluffing?
Does he REALLY THINK the Demon-rats will take a knife to their OWN THROATS and draw the blade across it?
Alternatively, are the Demon-rats really so stupid as to follow this pied piper down the path of economic and political oblivion?
Jimmy Carter was pretty much rebuffed BY HIS OWN PARTY after about a year and a half in office...the same just might happen to Hussein.
“So, Pres. Obama, how will the Senate Bill pass the House?”
The theory goes that they (the House & the Senate) will pass a Reconciliation Bill first. Then the House will pass the Senate bill. This would work (in theory), so long as the President signs the Senate bill (passed by the House), then the Reconciliation bill (passed by both Houses). The purpose of the Reconciliation Bill is to change everything in the bill the House doesn’t like, and that the Senate couldn’t get in the first place because of the filibuster.
Of course, this all presupposes that the Senate and House Parliamentarian will play ball, which of course remains to be seen. Also, that presupposes that the House could now get 217 votes to pass the Reconciliation Bill - again, a very big “if”. I don’t think that they can get it done in the House, not with the loss of Murtha and Wexler.”
So, the House leadership has to get the votes to pass the Reconciliation bill AND the Senate bill, right?
Anyone want to bet on that? I’ve got $10 that says they won’t.
Yes. Of course, passing the Senate bill in the House would merely become an administrative formality insomuch as the bill that would be the enforceable law would be the Reconciliation Bill.
What's a little confusing, and what I don't completely understand, is what happens to the legislation after five years - which is the maximum allowable lifetime for any reconciliation bill? Does the original Senate bill then become the enforceable law? I haven't seen this talked about, yet.
“So: is Hussein bluffing?
Does he REALLY THINK the Demon-rats will take a knife to their OWN THROATS and draw the blade across it?”
Yes, he really thinks they will pass it. He really is that arrogant/dumb. It’s funny how they merge.
This is a no lose situation for the Republicans. Either they fail to pass it (good) or they succeed and infuriate the US populace. This could take the House gain from 50 to 75 or more. I only hope that they will repeal it after they gain power over the House.
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t. But I hate these people.
The People haven't had their say on that yet.
No one wants it, and many believe that "it can't happen here", but the American people have been pushed to revolution before. They can be again.
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