Posted on 03/03/2009 5:09:59 PM PST by pleasenoobama
President Obama’s budget director said the White House would consider using a Senate procedural tactic so that only 50 votes would be rquired to pass major healthcare and energy reforms.
Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration would prefer not to use the budget reconciliation process to push through its package. But he added: "We have to keep everything on the table. We want to get these.... important things done this year." Orszag called healthcare in particular "the key to our fiscal future."
Orszag made the comments on ABC’s "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."
Because they can not be filibustered, budget reconciliations only require 50 votes to pass the Senate. Democrats hold strong majorities in Congress, but still come up short of the 60 votes necessary in the Senate to end debate, which makes it easier for Republicans to block legislation. House rules in comparison make it harder for the minority party to stop bills.
Still, using budget reconciliation to pass policy proposals is controversial, even among some Democrats who believe doing so strains Senate rules and tradition.
The Obama blueprint calls for major changes in both energy and healthcare policies that is likely to engender significant opposition from Republicans and business lobbies. The reforms are expect to win widespread support from Democrats and more left-leaning constituencies.
The budget plan calls for a cap on carbon emissions, for example, and projects $645 billion in revenues from an auction of pollution permits that a variety of business groups, including oil companies, large manufacturers and utilities, would have to purchase.
On healthcare, the plan calls for a $634 billion reserve fund to pay for a first step on healthcare reform.
The president would pay for it in large measure by raising taxes on wealthy people and businesses by about $1 trillion over 10 years.
Republicans on Sunday criticized the document as a return of big government that would dramatically raise the deficit without providing the needed jolt to the economy.
The budget is "proposing massive tax increases on people and on businesses that can’t afford to pay them," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who also appeared on This Week.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Jon Kyl said the budget was "terrifying" in its policy implications and "mind-boggling" in its numbers.
But Orszag defended the $3.6 trillion budget plan by saying the plan cuts taxes for 95 percent of all working Americans.
"I just reject the theory that the only thing that drives economic performance is the marginal tax rate on wealthy Americans and the only way of being pro-market is to funnel billions and billions of dollars of subsidies to corporations," Orszag said.
Still, Democrats like Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) have expressed concern about rising deficits. The budget estimates a deficit in 2009 of $1.75 trillion, quadruple the level the previous year. It also projects rapidly shrinking deficits, however, by the end of Obama’s first term.
Considering the political difficulties attendant on budget issues and the tenuous state of the economy, Stephanopoulos asked Orszag if the administration would support the creation of a budget commission that would make spending and tax recommendations that would be either voted up or down with no possibility of amendments. Such a process is now used to close military bases.
Orszag left the door open on such a proposal, and also indicated a less ambitious commission focused only on health care as a possibility as well.
We shall all serve Obama its only a matter of time. He is remaking America in his image he cares little for your Freedom and Liberty he has actually never said those in any speech he has ever given. The tactic he uses is that he is a master at articulating both sides of any argument so even when you don’t agree with his view he doesn’t care.
This is America’s first Pharoah Obama states his desire... “So let it be written, So let it be done” There is no debate.
Did America really sign up for this in the last election?
Typical leftist bs. They don’t like the rules (laws are for suckers and non-lefties), so they change them midstream. They are crapping all over the constitution. Are we really gonna let em?
As if I didn't know...
These thug leftists will get their theirs someday.
All the garbage they foisted on this nation?
Vengeance is mine saith the Lord!
I wonder if McCain & the Gang feel like fools now.
hat tip to Prince
I said during the run up to the election Obama would mean civil war within a year of election. Beginning to think more like summer.
Well good news it will be warm and sunny instead of wet and miserable. Much rather fight in the summer than the winter.
That train left the station on the first Tuesday of November 2008.
Where should we go t just walk away from eveything? Where is Galts Gulch?
Bump.
At some point it occurs to President Obongo and his merry band of Communist Thugs that they have bankrupted the country and that there are millions of stomachs to feed. History tells us a hungry population is the predecessor to violent revolution. At some point, look for Hussein to contrive a crisis that will “justify” mass elimination of conservatives, not surprising considering that his political guidestars are Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.
The only question is, do we fight back by whatever means necessary or — better — pre-empt this murderous scenario from playing out?
I think the big question is this: do we resist reactively or pro-actively and pre-emptively? It’s an urgent question that conservatives must decide soon. Events of on the ground are moving, in political terms, at light speed.
We did this on ANWR. (McCain was the deciding vote against)
We can get together a Gang of 14!
Wasn’t sure what you meant thanks for the correction.
Lets call it what it is: the “NUCLEAR OPTION”.
Unfortunately, this appears to be the case.
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