White House Sets the Table to Use ‘Reconciliation’ Rules to Finish Health Care Reform
EmailWhite 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.”
In the new Senate, with Sen. Scott Brown, D-Mass., depriving Senate Democrats of a 60-vote supermajority, Senate Democrats would use the reconciliation rules to pass the fix if they can’t achieve the 60 votes necessary to stave off a filibuster.
Senate Republicans have forced votes to stave off filibusters to an unprecedented degree.
“The package is designed to provide us the flexibility to achieve that if the Republican Party decides to filibuster health reform,” Pfeiffer said. “My understanding is these calls are ultimately made by the Senate parliamentarian, but that was certainly a factor that went into how we put this proposal together.”
During the White House briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs described reconciliation as a not-uncommon maneuver, and he even walked the press corps through a little legislative history of times when the Senate used reconciliation rules to pass a priority of President George W. Bush.
“Reconciliation, as you know, is a legislative vehicle that has been used on a number of occasions over the past many years,” Gibbs said. “In 2001, the $1.35 trillion tax cut that went through the Senate went through the very same way. The tax cuts in 2003, $350 billion, went through in a similar way.
“I don't think the president wants to get ahead of Thursday's meeting," Gibbs said. "I think we believe there can and should be a constructive discussion. I do think the president believes there ought to be an up-or-down vote on health care.”
With or without reconciliation rules in the Senate, the real problem for Democrats might be in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., isn’t sure Democrats have the votes to continue with this plan.
– jpt
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
The Republicans are currently filibustering a jobs bill because they are in a snit about a bill Reid pulled from debate as too expensive and lacking GOP support EVEN after many compromises.
Did you hear that?
The GOP is filibustering a very scaled down jobs bill($15B vs $80B) that include many tax breaks they championed because they are in a snit about a bill being pulled that they had no intention of supporting.
Republicans are unfit to govern.
Posted by: Ryan C | February 22, 2010, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm
The Republicans are currently filibustering a jobs bill
—
The jobs bill that just passed the senate?
Posted by: smartlillena | February 22, 2010, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm
They’d negotiated in good faith and agreed on one bill, Reid canned it. Whose intentions were what?
Posted by: smartlillena | February 22, 2010, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
“The jobs bill that just passed the senate?”
No, that would be the jobs bill that just passed cloture and can now be voted on.
Meanwhile Steve King (R-IN) thinks the guy who flew a plane into the IRS building killing an innocent man may have been justified.
Posted by: Ryan C | February 22, 2010, 7:10 pm 7:10 pm
What is NOT good faith is this “bipartisan meeting”. Reconciliation is a done deal.
Posted by: smartlillena | February 22, 2010, 7:14 pm 7:14 pm
They’d negotiated in good faith and agreed on one bill, Reid canned it. Whose intentions were what?”
They negotiated in good faith?
Is that why not a single Republican was gonna vote for it while they hoped to hang another $85B stim bill around the Democrat’s neck?
$13B of the $15B bill is for a tax credit for employers hiring those who have been out of work for 60 or more days.
Orirn Hatch drafted it.
When asked if he would support the new bill.
“Senator Hatch continues to support this proposal, but has grave concerns with Senator Reid’s decision to go with partisan politics over a genuine bipartisan compromise,” said Antonia Ferrier, a Hatch spokesperson.”
Posted by: Ryan C | February 22, 2010, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
Good Luck with that BO.
Posted by: mjishernameo | February 22, 2010, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
Pass this bill or else! – Bipartisanship in the Age of Obama.
Posted by: Aaron | February 22, 2010, 7:46 pm 7:46 pm
Government price fixing/rate setting works. Really, it’s a great idea!
Posted by: Herbert Hoover | February 22, 2010, 7:49 pm 7:49 pm
They negotiated in good faith?
—-
Nah. Even the diehards know better.
Meanwhile, let’s take a peek at the twitterland response to Scott Brown’s vote, you know, where, unsurprisingly, they call him a Specter, a traitor, a Marxist, a RINO, lol.
Posted by: progressive mama | February 22, 2010, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
The Administration that ran on CHANGE and against the “old tired policies” of George W Bush, now using George W Bush as an explanation of why they get to use reconciliation.
Pretzel logic at its finest.
Gibbs should just get up there and respond “I know you are but what am I”. It would save everyone a lot of time.
Posted by: Aaron | February 22, 2010, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm
We all knew the health care summit was nothing but window dressing – for both sides. GOP will support an Obama health bill, POTUS and Dems can’t compromise on scope.
Posted by: Matt | February 22, 2010, 8:00 pm 8:00 pm
“White House Sets the Table to Use ‘Reconciliation’ Rules to Finish Health Care Reform” – ABC News
[sarcasm]
Now that ought to help bring people together and foster a spirit of Bipartisanism.
[/sarcasm]
Gee, I wonder what NoBo meant when he said there isn’t a blue america or a red america, it’s the United States of America.
Maybe he doesn’t care about blue or red politics, only Obama politics.
Could it really be all about him?
Posted by: Noz | February 22, 2010, 8:26 pm 8:26 pm
The American people sure got suckered into voting for these nuts!!
Posted by: Tom Barnow | February 22, 2010, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm
Obama has progressed beyond socialism, on his way to full blown delusional Marxism ala Hugo Chavez. Will the House and Senate of Overlords follow him over this cliff?
BTW, memo to Orrin Hatch. Jobs come from the private sector. Government gets its money from the private sector and now, germ lines…if you haven’t had kids,”All your eggs and sperm belong to Uncle Sam”, as Obama and the democrats are spending money the yet unconceived will have to pay back. Quit taxing and spending, let us keep our money, and then you will see jobs.
Posted by: Dantes | February 22, 2010, 9:15 pm 9:15 pm
I give the Dems credit for threatening (and hopefully using) reconciliation. It’s political suicide, plain and simple.
Posted by: Woody | February 22, 2010, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
The hubris on display is almost Shakespearean.
Posted by: Woody | February 22, 2010, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
“Senate Republicans have forced votes to stave off filibusters to an unprecedented degree.”
______________________________________
Seems to me its the Republicans who have had the hubris and arrogance to threaten and oppose the democratic majority – reconciliation will be done only to counteract this nonsense.
Posted by: tierra | February 22, 2010, 9:37 pm 9:37 pm
Seems to me its the Republicans who have had the hubris and arrogance to threaten and oppose the democratic majority – reconciliation will be done only to counteract this nonsense.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 22, 2010 9:37:30 PM
==============
Well that wasn’t a very forceful defense.
We shall see how many Blue Dogs stand up and be counted, knowing it will mean a trip home in November.
Posted by: Woody | February 22, 2010, 9:46 pm 9:46 pm
Posted by: Woody | Feb 22, 2010 9:46:16 PM
Woody, you chose not to comprehend the most important part . . .
“Senate Republicans have forced votes to stave off filibusters to an unprecedented degree.”
Belligerent arrogance. If voters really knew what was going on Republicans would never get back in office.
Posted by: tierra | February 22, 2010, 9:51 pm 9:51 pm
Seems to me its the Republicans who have had the hubris and arrogance to threaten and oppose the democratic majority – reconciliation will be done only to counteract this nonsense.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 22, 2010 9:37:30 PM
==============
So you’re suggesting that it’s arrogant to stand on principle while standing with the overwhelming majority of Americans on the issue of the health care bills? That’s hubris? Hardly.
Hubris is ignoring the will of the people by bypassing the filibuster (used ad nauseum by Democrats to block judicial appointees) to perpetrate an ideology by the use of means that were unintended by their authors.
That, my friends, is hubris. By all means, keep telling yourself otherwise. That is known as denial, the lifeblood of hubris.
Posted by: Woody | February 22, 2010, 9:54 pm 9:54 pm
“Senate Republicans have forced votes to stave off filibusters to an unprecedented degree.”
Seems to me its the Republicans who have demonstrated hubris and arrogance with these non-stop attempts to filibuster.
Reconciliation will be done only to counteract this nonsense.
If voters really knew what was going on Republicans would never get back in office.
Posted by: tierra | February 22, 2010, 10:10 pm 10:10 pm
So the Republicans are standing on principles while the Democrats just attempt to perpetuate an ideology eh? I call it Democrats trying to reform healthcare while Republicans stall, create diversions, and operate exclusively in the interests of the insurance industry while completely misrepresenting their own intentions, which is to do nothing at all about reforming healthcare.
Posted by: Skip | February 22, 2010, 10:22 pm 10:22 pm
If Obama veers sharp left here- better buckle up-cause this ride is gonna get very bumpy.
Posted by: cindy | February 22, 2010, 10:33 pm 10:33 pm
tierra wrote: “If voters really knew what was going on Republicans would never get back in office.”
.
And democrats would be run out of Washington DC with tar and feathers on their backs.
Posted by: gk | February 22, 2010, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm
tierra wrote: “Seems to me its the Republicans who have had the hubris and arrogance to threaten and oppose the democratic majority – ”
.
So, in The Age of oBama its known as hubris and arrogance? During the Bush administration you called it patriotic dissent.
Posted by: gk | February 22, 2010, 10:38 pm 10:38 pm
I call it Democrats trying to reform healthcare while Republicans stall, create diversions, and operate exclusively in the interests of the insurance industry while completely misrepresenting their own intentions, which is to do nothing at all about reforming healthcare.
Posted by: Skip | Feb 22, 2010 10:22:00 PM
sounds about right to me.
Posted by: progressive mama | February 22, 2010, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
I call it Democrats trying to reform healthcare while Republicans stall, create diversions, and operate exclusively in the interests of the insurance industry while completely misrepresenting their own intentions, which is to do nothing at all about reforming healthcare.
Posted by: Skip | Feb 22, 2010 10:22:00 PM
sounds about right to me.
Posted by: progressive mama | Feb 22, 2010 10:53:04 PM
___________________________________
Yes.
Posted by: tierra | February 22, 2010, 11:33 pm 11:33 pm
“White House sets the table”….let’s
see, fork on the left, spoon on the
right…..and knife right in the
Republican underbelly. Yep, Miss
Manners and the MSM approve.
Posted by: Sir Toby Belch | February 23, 2010, 12:19 am 12:19 am
and knife right in the Republican underbelly.
Posted by: Sir Toby Belch
maybe it’s time to trim some of that Republican nihilistic fat and hypocrisy
Posted by: XXX | February 23, 2010, 12:26 am 12:26 am
This is still a several thousand page fiasco he’s warmed over and is plopping down for Americans – not to include himself or congress – and will demand a very high price from us.
This *whole* administration is too corrupt to be trusted to accomplish good for this country.
Posted by: Missy | February 23, 2010, 12:48 am 12:48 am
“This is still a several thousand page fiasco he’s warmed over and is plopping down for Americans – not to include himself or congress – and will demand a very high price from us.”
_____________________________________
You don’t seem to understand, this issue and these bills have been worked on now for months. They’re being further refined and amalgamated even as we type.
What the county is going to get will be a very refined piece of legislation.
That’s not called corruption, its called good governance. The current President has done more to eliminate corruption in government than any leader. And it will continue over the length of his term – as long as Republicans don’t get back in the House and start voting to protect their plush backsides.
Posted by: tierra | February 23, 2010, 1:30 am 1:30 am
and will demand a very high price from us.
Posted by: Missy
ok… how much?
Posted by: XXX | February 23, 2010, 2:09 am 2:09 am
ok… how much?
—
Excellent question. It’s the one question the cheerleaders are scared to death to ask. And the administration is scared to death to answer it.
Easier question: How much has it cost for 535 members of congress, potus, veep, all of their aides and staff to spend a solid year on this nonsense?
Posted by: smartlillena | February 23, 2010, 6:57 am 6:57 am
White House sets the table to use the official POTUS website as a partisan attack site, rather than as a website for all Americans, as it is meant to be. Purely disgusting that Obama would use that site for his own partisan purposes. But, exactly what we expect from Obama and Co.
Posted by: William Teach | February 23, 2010, 10:05 am 10:05 am
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.
Prof positive that the so-called
Healthcare Summit is another phony
political exercise by the President and
his Chicago Cronies to blame their
use of “reconciliation” to ram this
unpopular Healthcare bill down the throats of the American People on the
Republicans!
Do so at your own risk Mr President and
fellow Democrats.
You guys are history in November!
Count on it!
Posted by: reaganfan | February 23, 2010, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
Up or Down vote sounds good to me.
In the spirit of bipartisanship.
Any MC who votes to force people to buy a product they don’t want loses his or her seat in November regardless of party.
Posted by: Miri | February 23, 2010, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm
How much has it cost for 535 members of congress, potus, veep, all of their aides and staff to spend a solid year on this nonsense?
Posted by: smartlillena
- considering the many ‘holds’ republicans have placed on just about anything that needs to be done and voted on, …
one might well ask equally, what Republicans have cost the American taxpayer by refusing to participate in legislation.. despite their feigned outrage and vociferous cries of socialism and communism.
Posted by: XXX | February 23, 2010, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
ram this unpopular Healthcare bill down the throats
Posted by: reaganfan
you folks have a very curious fascination with the phrase,.. ram (whatever) down the throats …
very interesting ……
Posted by: XXX | February 23, 2010, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm