White House Indicates Obama Willing to Circumvent Republicans on Health Reform

White House Indicates Obama Willing to Circumvent Republicans on Health Reform

Posted by Sam Stein, Huffington Post at 5:15 PM on August 6, 2009.

Is there an increased willingness on the part of Democrats to openly discuss how to marginalize the role of Republicans in reform?


The White House insisted on Thursday that it was open to the use of a parliamentary procedure that would prevent health care reform from being filibustered by Republicans in the Senate.

Speaking minutes after President Barack Obama met with a group of bipartisan lawmakers from the Senate Finance Committee, spokesman Robert Gibbs stressed that the administration's preference was to get a health care bill passed through normal measures. But, in one of the strongest indications to date that the president is willing to circumvent Republicans, Gibbs affirmatively stated that the use reconciliation (a move that allows bills to be considered on an up-or-down basis) was on the White House's mind.

"Obviously, the President meeting with Democrats and Republicans means the President is interested in doing this first and foremost through regular order," he said. "Obviously the option for reconciliation was contained in the budget and we will certainly cross that bridge when we get there."

"It is certainly out there," Gibbs added.

The remark reflects an increased willingness on the part of Democrats to openly discuss how to marginalize the role of Republicans in the health care process. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) began the process earlier in the week when he argued that the party should have "contingencies" should the Senate Finance Committee not be able to produce a bipartisan bill by September 15.

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http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/141843/white_house_indicates_obama_willing_to_circumvent_republicans_on_health_reform/#more

Time to quit pissing in the wind of the blowhard republicans and take charge.

when they were in power, they shut them off, now we have to reciprocate.

I thought after the election things would simmer down a bit, but now it's even worse. There's a constant stream of fear and disinformation with a crazy right wing that's more rabid than ever.

We spend all this time trying to get consensus and in the end the GOP won't vote for it. Their input will only ruin the plan anyway and then they'll blame the Democrats for all the problems we'll go through getting the new system in place. Screw the GOP! They can't lead and they have no business putting in their 2 cents when they aren't going to vote for the bill anyway.

had health care been pushed through in February, what would they be "mobbing" about now?

All the intervening diddling around has given republicans the time they needed to gin up anger & rally the troops..and every little "victory" stall or stumble they caused, only made them stronger.

We have to stop helping the guy we punched, get up to fight us again.. we need to just punch him again, and step over him.

pushed through in February? Leaving the rethugs out of the equation, we still have Dems who can't agree, on anything.

I and 4300 other people in our District had a Tele Town Hall Meet today ..starting at 1pm.

He kept saying that he and other "Blue Dogs" were not ready to sign off on a health reform bill that kept changing and was hard to understand. Said he wanted to talk it over with his constituents in Recess to see what their concerns were..so they "slowed down the bill".

Arcuri was very good on some points because he had a live telephone polls, too, and one of the questions was..what Myths are you most concerned about that you've heard in the media(paraphrasing)..1)End of life counciling..2)Rationing of health care..3)Medicare will change

He shot down all of the bullshit and called them out as lies and distortions.

The GOP through word and deed has proven recently that they are not serious about health care reform. It turns out they were only and always interested in destroying the process from within. I suggest we go back through all proposed legislation and strip out the republican amendments - then move directly to a 50 + 1 Senate vote and pass a bill just like we did Medicare - without one single republican vote.

The Republicans want to disrupt, oppose, delay, and in general just say no to our legislation. I say we just steamroller the repukes and get on with running the country.

We hold a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, we don't need any parliamentary procedures to shut the Republicans up.

said he and the other blue dogs slowed the bill down so they could talk to the people in their District over the Recess and get their thoughts and concerns.

2006 in a district that had been moderate repub for 50 years and our country went for mcpalin at 55%.

So, I know what he's doing but he at least got some lies straightened out in a very ingenious way..via the telephone. No mob menatlity entered into it.

I am sick of their shit too,

it's important that Congress thinks they do. But I hope they mean it.