Democrats Likely to Bypass Senate GOP on Health Care

[wyldwolf]

Political Wire:

Congressional Democrats are likely to use a parliamentary procedure to win passage this year of a national health-insurance program, the Wall Street Journal reports.

"For Congress to pass such a monumental program using a special maneuver would be unusual. But the tactic -- allowing legislation to pass the Senate with 51 votes rather than the 60 need to overcome a possible filibuster -- has been used by Republican and Democratic administrations to secure major initiatives, from Bill Clinton's tax increases in 1993 to George W. Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/03/20/democrats_likely_to_bypass_senate_gop_on_health_care.html

[Bullet1987]

1. Not if Bayh's Gang has anything to do with it

[Hippo_Tron]

2. I have found that I don't even begin to understand the "reconciliation" tactic

I know Clinton tried to use it for health care in the 1990's but they weren't allowed to. Why is it any different this time?

[geek tragedy]

5. Senate Democrats wouldn't let him.

Robert Byrd was a major pain in the ass.

[msongs]

3. corporate control of health care will continue with or without repub votes - no change here nt

[Hippo_Tron]

6. Heavily regulated corporate health care is better than unregulated corporate health care

Which is what we have now...

[Peacetrain]

4. 50 votes, we need 50 and Joe..

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Tell that to Spineless Reid

He's under the delusion that we need the mythical 60 votes to do ANYTHING.