Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) says he may use a procedural maneuver, never used before, to fast-track nationalized healthcare through the senate. The maneuver would allow Democrooks to bypass Senate rules and pass their massive piece of legislation with a simple majority of 51 votes and with no input from the minority.
The AP reported:
Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated Wednesday he’s willing to move sweeping health care legislation through the Senate with a procedural maneuver that would block a GOP filibuster. The prospect of the controversial tactic has already ignited Republicans’ ire, and key Senate Democratic chairmen have said they don’t want to do it.
Reid, D-Nev., took a different position on a conference call with reporters.
“I think it’s something we need to consider,” Reid said.
At issue is a so-called reconciliation bill, which could pass with a simple majority of 51 votes and without Democrats fearing a GOP filibuster. Democrats would struggle to gather 60 votes needed to break a filibuster for something as complex as a plan to meet President Barack Obama’s goal of overhauling the nation’s health care system to cover 48 million uninsured Americans.
Revising health care via reconciliation has been viewed favorably by House Democrats. The House Budget Committee included language providing for the method in its annual budget resolution released Wednesday. Reconciliation is not favored by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and was not part of his committee’s plan.
White House officials reiterated Wednesday that it’s not their preferred method but they don’t want to take it off the table.
Barack Obama told the country on Tuesday that the democrat’s plan of spending billions of taxpayer money to nationalize healthcare would help the economy.