Twinned voting in Congress...

[Polemicist]

I've been trying to figure out a response to the tactics of those attempting to kill health care legislation in Congress, by attaching controversial abortion amendments to the bill. Then pulling enough votes from conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats to pass said amendments. Then most of those same congressmen who supported the abortion amendment then later voting against the final health care bill.

This seems to me to be "poison pill" amendment tactics. These congressmen want to derail heath care reform by making the debate about abortion rather than about health care. And they were successful at adding their amendment to a bill they oppose and ultimately voted against.

As a response, is it tactically possible to "twin" the votes on these amendments with a vote for the final health care reform bill? In other words, if you vote yes for the poison pill amendment, you are also voting yes for a final health care bill with the amendment as a part thereof. If you vote no on the amendment, then you are later able to vote for or against an amendment-less final health bill.

If the rules allow this, then conservatives will have to face a choice of voting for the abortion amendment and with it overall health care reform, verses dropping the amendment to preserve their right to vote against the final health care bill.

In other words, if you want a vote on the amendment, that vote also becomes your final vote on the bill. It would end the duplicitous poison pill actions of conservatives in Congress, cause their anti-abortion vote would become a vote for the "government takeover of health care" to use their propaganda. Let's let them explain that vote to their constituents back home.

I'm no expert on the rules of voting in Congress. I don't know if this could be done or should be done. I'm just throwing it out as an idea for discussion.

[rucky]

1. 23 Dems voted for Stupak & against Final.

Altmire, Barrow, Boccieri, Boren, Bright, Chandler, Childers, Davis (AL), Davis (TN), Gordon (TN), Griffith, Holden, Marshall, Matheson, McIntyre, Melancon, Peterson

I don't think Congress can do anything about this procedural tactic, but we may be able to. These assholes deserve to be primaried.

[Polemicist]

2. And didn't almost all Republicans...

Do the same thing as those 23 Democrats?

[rucky]

3. Yep.

All but one, I think.