New Rx for Health Plan: Split Bill

Source: Wall Street Journal

New Rx for Health Plan: Split Bill

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and NAFTALI BENDAVID

....................

Most legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, but certain budget-related measures can pass with 51 votes through a piece of parliamentary sleight-of-hand called reconciliation.

In recent days, Democratic leaders have concluded they can pack more of their health overhaul plans under this procedure, congressional aides said. They might even be able to include a public insurance plan to compete with private insurers, a key demand of the party's liberal wing, but that remains uncertain.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the key decision-maker on whether to use the tactic, but several congressional aides said White House officials are being kept abreast of the talks. "We will not make a decision to pursue reconciliation until we have exhausted efforts to produce a bipartisan bill," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Mr. Reid. "However, patience is not unlimited, and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary."

Privately, those involved in the talks now say there is a 60% chance the split-bill tactic will be used. Mr. Obama is huddling with aides next week, and Senate leaders are likely to review their options when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125072573848144647.html

what this means exactly?

nothing that will actually gurantee access to health care.

And the CEOs of United Health Group, Cigna, etal will be laughing all the way to bank.

which may have always been the plan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(U.S._Congress)



Reconciliation is a legislative process of the United States Senate intended to allow a contentious budget bill to be considered without being subject to filibuster. Reconciliation also applies in the United States House of Representatives, but since the House regularly passes rules that constrain debate and amendment, the reconciliation process represented less of a change in that body.

A reconciliation instruction is a provision in a budget resolution directing one or more committees to submit legislation changing existing law in order to bring spending, revenues, or the debt-limit into conformity with the budget resolution. The instructions specify the committees to which they apply, indicate the appropriate dollar changes to be achieved, and usually provide a deadline by which the legislation is to be reported or submitted.<1>

A reconciliation bill is one containing changes in law recommended pursuant to reconciliation instructions in a budget resolution. If the instructions pertain to only one committee in a chamber, that committee reports the reconciliation bill. If the instructions pertain to more than one committee, the House Budget Committee reports an omnibus reconciliation bill, but it may not make substantive changes in the recommendations of the other committees.<2>



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there's some interesting hx etc at the link also...

Bullshit, it's the Democratic Party that wants it you piece of shit. It's the Blue dogs that are the ones that don't, and that doesn't represent the Democratic Party, or even the President as a whole. It's just that these a-holes have their hands elbows deep into the debate because of lobbyists.

Someone needs to set this guys straight. The "Liberal Wing" would be asking for single payer and single payer alone...which still most Dems would support.

Wall Street Whore Journal.

I thought the bipartisan boat had sailed already. Reid doesn't want to take responsibility for this bill on his own. This guy should have been replaced years ago.

The house passes bill with Public Option.

The Senate passes everything else with 60+ votes.

Discrepancies are resolved with a much smaller, 51 majority instead of 60 when the bill is reconciled.

Now as long as they don't Reconcile the public option away, we win.