Rep. Paul Ryan: Up to Obama to Bring Bipartisanship
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: On today’s “Top Line,” Rep. Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, joined his party’s leadership in calling on President Obama to bring bipartisan cooperation to Capitol Hill. But at the same time, Ryan said that Obama’s victory and Democrats’ expanded majority in Congress give them the “right” to push their healthcare plans through — and said they will probably be able to do so using a procedural process known as “reconciliation” that makes it easier to pass bills in the Senate. “It’s their right. They did win the election,” said Ryan, R-Wis. “That’s what I tell all my constituents who are worried about this. They won the election. They did run on these ideas. They did run on nationalizing health care. So, you’re right about that. They have the votes with reconciliation. They nailed down the process so that they can make sure they have the votes and that they can get this thing through really fast. It is their right. It is what they can do.” “They hold the power, and they’re probably going to exercise it. We don’t like it because we don’t like what looks like the outcome,” he added. It’s up to the president, he said, to force Democratic leaders in Congress to the bargaining table. “We asked [House Ways and Means Chairman] Charlie Rangel yesterday — you know, invite us to a meeting. Let’s start talking. Let’s get something done together,” he said. “Nothing. Stone silence. We hear the crickets chirping here.” Said Ryan: “The President is the leader of their party. He can make a difference. We’re asking him to get involved, and if they really want bipartisanship, that means you have to have collaboration. That means you have to compromise and so far there’s just no attitude to do that because as you mentioned, they’ve got the power, they won the election, so they don’t seem to, you know, really want to compromise, and that’s their right.” He also said that the budget reconciliation process — which allows legislation to avoid filibusters in the Senate — wasn’t meant for items like a healthcare overhaul. “Reconciliation this year is being sort of tortured and used for different purposes than what it was originally intended for. That’s the point we’re trying to make.” Watch the full interview with Rep. Paul Ryan HERE. Also today, we spoke with Politico’s Mike Allen about the early take on the president’s first 100 days in office — and the Obama White House’s use of the president’s popularity to shape news coverage.
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I can’t read his mind but I expect Obama is as hacked off as anyone that Pelosi and Reid are running the country he was elected to lead. What an embarrassment they are proving to be to our country.
Posted by: mmonroeliveson | April 23, 2009, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
where has this Fool Been The President has tried Bi-Partianship with that Pathetic Republican Party and what has he Gotten NO NO NO NO NO NO NO And more NO And the fool Ryan is right THE DEMOCRATS WON THEY WERE CHOSEN!The people want a Democrat Led policies we have had Republican Led policies for 8 years and look what happen
Posted by: Angie in Pa | April 23, 2009, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Where was the Cooperation from the Republicans when they Held Power The party of Filibusters!
Posted by: Angie in Pa | April 23, 2009, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
Why go to a meeting with a big NO. Bring new ideas instead of Bush failed policies. Go ahead FOX holes – name 1 new idea, give a reason to compromise.
Posted by: sameold sameold | April 23, 2009, 3:19 pm 3:19 pm
Do Republicans understand the meaning of ‘compromise’? Apparently not.
http://www.political-buzz.com
Posted by: Matt | April 23, 2009, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
DAVE
Well Bush was Not a Liberal and they Must haved Loved him because 911 Happened on his Watch!
Posted by: Angie in Pa | April 23, 2009, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm
Screw the Republicans.
I remember well when they had majority in house/senate and a president who would 99% of the time rubber stamp whatever republican legislation came his way. Ramming b/s legislation down the minority democrat’s throats ,THAT THEY ARE NOW TRYING TO BLAME ON DEMOCRATS!!!
Now that the shoe is on the other foot the neutered Republicans are demanding bipartisan efforts from the empowered Democrats.
I say screw those jokers ,make laws that limit their ability to get back into power forever.
Posted by: lO | April 23, 2009, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
“I say screw those jokers ,make laws that limit their ability to get back into power forever.”
LOL….yep, aren’t we glad we have open-minded people like you around….LOL
Sounds to me like the Whiners from SNL fame are making a comback here on the blogs…
You morons act like the Democrats like Frank, Pelosi & Dodd have been running around Washington for all those years just doing nothing. Go back and look at history instead of just spewing Keith Olbermann hate speech.
At least speak from a position of a little knowledge rather than complete ignorance. You people have no idea how the system works or more to the point WHY it works this way. Read some history of why our government was created the way it is.
All this BS about investigate this & investigate that. BOTH sides have done this for years.
Obama was “supposed” to be about change. Yet as i have stated many times, he is nothing more than just another politician. Very well liked, very well spoken, but no different than any other president. There was no reason to release memos or any of that… no reason other than to start the firestorm all over again. Dems had control of Congress since January 2007, and could have initiated an investigation anytime since then if this was so incredibly important to do. By all means lets spend more time and money on this now, at a time when according to Obama we need to fix the economy or face truning a “crisis into a catastrophe”.
Maybe, just maybe he & the Congress should get those positions at Treasury filled. That would seem to be just slightly more important than this mess.
Posted by: Mike_C | April 23, 2009, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm
Mostly Republicans should shut up and get out of the way of real Americans trying to clean up their mess.
Terrorists are not nearly so big a problem for America as Republicans are. If America can solve the “Republican Problem,” all other solutions will fall into place. Get rid of Republicans and all will be well in America.
Posted by: Sammy | April 23, 2009, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Sammy tells it like it is!!
NO MORE REPUBLICANS!!!
Posted by: ulma | April 23, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
Dems had control of Congress since January 2007, and could have initiated an investigation anytime since then if this was so incredibly important to do. By all means lets spend more time and money on this now, at a time when according to Obama we need to fix the economy or face truning a “crisis into a catastrophe”.
Maybe, just maybe he & the Congress should get those positions at Treasury filled. That would seem to be just slightly more important than this mess.
Posted by: Mike_C | Apr 23, 2009 4:53:44 PM
Could you please define “control” for us. Look up the number of Dems and Repubs in both the House and Senate under the last two years of Bush. Then look up how many Dems it would take in the House to filibuster or have a majority proof vote. I already know the answer but I am tired of this stupid excuse which is a lie. Enjoy the research, hope your brain doesn’t explode. Oh, I will let you know that the Senate had exactly the same number of Dems as Repubs.
Posted by: butterfly | April 23, 2009, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
I don’t remember bi-partianship being the numero uno issue when I went to vote.
But then, I’m not in Congress and wanting all my cookies to be as good as your cookies….whah, whah.
I’m [among]their boss… and I do want them to work together soooo, party of No, learn a new word.
The people spoke. You would do well to listen to your boss.
Posted by: dassis | April 23, 2009, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
“Terrorists are not nearly so big a problem for America as Republicans are. If America can solve the “Republican Problem,” all other solutions will fall into place. Get rid of Republicans and all will be well in America. -Sammy”
Oh brother, isn’t it interesting how quickly the “oppressed” democrats become fascist nazis? Change we can believe in, eh?
Posted by: Bjohns | April 23, 2009, 11:08 pm 11:08 pm
“I say screw those jokers ,make laws that limit their ability to get back into power forever. – IO”
And another gem from a so-called “liberal”.
Ironically, after the catastrophic failures of the Obama administration and democrat congress over the next four years, it will be the democrats once again on the outside, looking in…
Posted by: Bjohns | April 23, 2009, 11:10 pm 11:10 pm
I hope the Dems do not respond at all to any calls for biparitsanship. Republicans came out of the gate thinking they would increase their base by no, no, no, no, no, no. Guess what – your bluff has been called. Try eating a little humble pie, and maybe you may get a little more respect and consideration. Until you can prove that you have learned from your mistakes, your crying, whimperin, hollering, and complaining will be to no avail. We’ve put up, waited our turn – and we’re not giving it up easily. We have a right to be angry. We have a right to angry words. And, we have a right -and now the power, to express it.
Posted by: jaymo62 | April 23, 2009, 11:19 pm 11:19 pm
Don’t sleep with the enemy. The Dems will loose big time in 2010 just like 1994.
Posted by: realitycheck99 | April 24, 2009, 12:59 am 12:59 am
I find it interesting that for the first 6 years of the Bush Administration, when Republicans had complete and total control of everything, they never spoke a word about bipartisanship.
Partisanship was the soup of the day for those 6 years and now they are getting their just desserts. Somehow I’m not surprised they can’t chew with their mouths shut!!
Posted by: dk | April 24, 2009, 3:03 am 3:03 am
To the Republicans , Mr Obama and the Democrats must seem like a giant deadly tidal wave .
Drowned rats , good riddance.
Posted by: Mark | April 24, 2009, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
“I can’t read his mind but I expect Obama is as hacked off as anyone that Pelosi and Reid are running the country he was elected to lead. What an embarrassment they are proving to be to our country.”
Well, it’s definitely over-reaching to say they’re running the country, but they are being a huge pita.
Posted by: Silky | April 27, 2009, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm
I’ve had about enough of Nancy Pelosi.
Posted by: Silky | April 27, 2009, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm