Senate and House Discussing Health Care Reconciliation

will in chicago · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:50 pm

The roller coaster ride for health care is not over yet. It seems that there is some talk of a new approach which I think should have been done earlier -- reconciliation.

After months of wrangling, months of debate and wasted opportunities, we may see the House and Senate use a tactic that was used on the Bush tax cuts and other bills. As much as I despised Bush's policies, he did at least push his agenda through Congress.

Here is a link from the Huffington Post and an excerpt:

Quote:

Hoyer: House And Senate Discussing Reconciliation For Health Care

Laying out the way forward on health care reform Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) confirmed that Congress and the White House are discussing the use of reconciliation to "correct" the Senate legislation with a supplemental bill that would require only a simple majority in the upper chamber.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) avoided using that particular parliamentary tactic for health care last year, partly because reconciliation bars the inclusion of policy provisions that don't affect overall cost. But since the Senate has already passed the fundamental health reform bill, reconciliation could be used to fast-track a bill that simply amends cost provisions in the existing legislation -- if the House votes to pass the main Senate bill as is. The alternative, crafting a compromise bill in conference, would require 60 votes in the Senate again.

Catherine · **Posted:** Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:43 am

Good to see you, will!

It seems that the health reform is indeed back on its rollercoaster. Whether it derails again remains to be seen. It's interesting that you should have posted your comment about your dislike of Bush, but that he did get his agenda pushed through Congress. I was mentioning almost the same thing to my husband this morning. The Repubs ran roughshod over the Democrats in Congress during the Bush era, damning the torpedoes and doing exactly as they pleased. That's one of the reasons we're in the economic mess we're in right now, but the Dems seem to lack conviction at the present time. They're a bit like a hen's ass...first one way and then the other. I am beginning to think that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are not good leaders. I'll be listening to the State of the Union address tonight to see if President Obama manages to say anything that is "hopeful."

will in chicago · **Posted:** Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:53 pm

Bush at least was able to push his agenda forward. True, I did NOT like the signing statements but he was able to make a smaller majority work.

Obama seems to want people to cooperate on issues, which on its face is a laudable goal. However, Congress is not the same as resolving a dispute between a company and community residents. You can't always bring people together -- especially when some of those people want to break you or see you fail.

Catherine · **Posted:** Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:50 am

The truth of what you say was evident at last night's SOTU as the cameras panned over the recalcitrant Republicans sitting silently and angrily ON THEIR ASSES, many of them smirking like Bush, when Obama was being applauded. I thought it was a good speech. Lots of the powerful, including the SCOTUS, got a spanking from the principal, and he did not forget to lash himself a bit. Something Obama's predecessor never did.

I wish Obama would make more frequent televised speeches and hold more news conferences. I believe if he did, he would be much more effective in pushing his own agenda through Congress. It's not too late...yet...to keep the 2010 elections from being a disaster for the Dems.

Check out THE PRESIDENT'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Catherine · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:45 pm

FINALLY......

Obama Health Care Speech: It's Time To Act

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama urged Congress Wednesday to vote "up or down" on sweeping health care legislation in the next few weeks, endorsing a plan that denies Senate Republicans the right to kill the bill by stalling with a filibuster.

"I don't see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over," Obama said, rejecting Republican calls to begin anew on an effort to remake the health care system.

The president made his appeal as Democratic leaders in Congress surveyed their rank and file for the votes needed to pass legislation by majority vote – invoking rules that deny Senate Republicans the right to block it through endless stalling debate. Obama specifically endorsed that approach.

Senate and House Discussing Health Care Reconciliation

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