Monday, February 22, 2010

Maybe My Party is finding their Balls

At least 20 Democratic Senators have signed up with using Reconciliation to pass a Public Option medical plan with a simple majority of votes in the Senate. Imagine that, being able to pass laws using a simple majority vote.

For all the pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth, I have yet to hear a fact based argument against creating a publicly chartered health insurance company to complete with the private companies that currently provide health care to those of us who can afford health insurance.

I love it.

Doing something good for the country based on a majority vote.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the Democrats end up using reconcilliation, it will certainly be ballsy. In a republican democracy this is an acceptable, if unwise (depending on your point of view; unwise from my pov)course of action considering that less than 50% of the population is currently for a single-payer system.

Although I am against such a system, I do admire politicians who so believe in the idea thatin some cases they are willing to risk defeat to see it enacted. Don't agree with the idea, but I like to see our reps acting in what they feel are our best interests.

Uncle Walt said...

And just to be clear here. Noone is talking about using Reconciliation to pass Single Payer. Although I am a supporter of Single Payer, its not on the table now.
They are talking about using reconcilation to pass the Public Option.
Polls are tricky things, as I am sure you are aware. Although public support for the overall concept of health care reform has fallen, support for most of the individual components of the package remains strong. This reflects, I believe, a reflection of the distortions and lies about the health care reform proposals being debated, not a realistic reflection of the actual contents of the bill. Early in the debate, the public very largely support both the indivicual components of health care reform (including a Public Option) AND the overall effort. I didn't see any great clamoring by Conservatives/Republicans to pass a popular bill then. I fail to see the consistency in them using polls to oppose the bill now.

Right Truth said...

Not calling it the "nuclear option" any more, nor are they calling it "reconcilliation" much either. Now it's a "simple majority".


Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

Uncle Walt said...

Actually Debbie, the Nuclear Option is a Republican creation from the Bush years where Republicans were complaining that Democrats were filibustering too many judicial appointees. The then Majority Leader in the Senate threatened the "Nuclear Option" which was to forbid the use of the filibuster at all in judical appointments. That change to the rules of the Senate is very different from using Budget Reconciliation. Both are ways of getting around a filibuster without having to get 60 votes, but they are very different ways.

And yes, using the Budget Reconciliation process would allow the Senate to pass a Health Care Reform bill with a Simple Majority of the votes in the Senate.

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