GOP vs Reconciliation; The Fight Begins (Filibuster)

Mitch McConnell Braces For Reconciliation Fight


Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Sunday he believes Democrats will pursue a rarely used parliamentary tool to muscle health care legislation through the chamber over the angry objections of Republicans.

"I think they will pursue the parliamentary device called reconciliation," McConnell said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Republicans have used the process, known as reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority to pass legislation in the Senate, 16 times since 1980 -- compared to the six times Democrats have used it. But McConnell argued Sunday that "just because it's been used before for lesser issues, doesn't mean it's appropriate for this issue."

"There are a number of other Democrats who do not think something of this magnitude should be jammed down the throats of a public who doesn't want it," McConnell said. "This is really the Democratic majority, in frankly a kind of arrogant way, saying we're smarter than you are. We're going to give this to you whether you want it or not."

The Republican leader won't say how he plans to fight this procedural maneuver. But he's confident that President Barack Obama's summit wasn't enough to shake loose some GOP votes for the bill.

"Republicans just don't believe that a half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts and a half a trillion dollars in new taxes and possibly higher insurance premiums for all of those on the individual market is the definition of reform," McConnell said.

Even adding something like tougher restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits wouldn't be enough to entice Republican votes, McConnell said. "It's simply not a symmetrical trade-off."

But the Republican leader didn't think it was a waste of time, saying, "It was actually very good for us because it certainly refuted the notion that Republicans are not interested in this subject or aren't knowledgeable about it and don't have alternatives."







Kent Conrad: Reconciliation Can't Be Used For Comprehensive Reform


Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) threw cold water on the idea of using the Reconciliation process Sunday during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"Reconciliation cannot be used to pass comprehensive health care reform," said Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "The major package would not be done through reconciliation."

Asked by CBS host Bob Schieffer to elaborate, given that the White House suggested earlier Sunday that they could pass the main bill with a simple majority of 51 votes, Conrad said that reconciliation was not, in fact, an option.

"I am the chairman of the committee in the Senate, and I think I understand how reconciliation works and can't work," he said, arguing that the so-called Byrd Rule would prevent the use of reconciliation for the main health care bill. "The only possible role I can see for reconciliation would be to make modest changes in the major package."

Conrad said only "side car" issues could be affected through the Reconciliation process.


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Sources: Politico, CNN, Google Maps