The Health Care Nuclear Option, also known as reconciliation, is being considered by liberal politicians to insure that Obamacare makes it to the President’s desk by Easter. According to The New York Times, the plan is to have the President submit reconciliation legislation to be posted on the internet this weekend. The legislation will be crafted in a manner so that it can be passed using special reconciliation procedures created solely to enact laws to reduce the deficit as part of the annual budget. The next step is for the President to conduct his half day bipartisan summit at the Blair House on February 25th. With that faux-bipartisan stunt over with, the President will be free to pass legislation in a partisan manner that tosses aside the regular rules of business in the Senate.
Here is how the NYT writes it up:
President Obama will put forward comprehensive health care legislation intended to bridge differences between Senate and House Democrats ahead of a summit meeting with Republicans next week, senior administration officials and Congressional aides said Thursday.
The legislation is being crafted in a way to allow for partisans in the House and Senate to pass the legislation without any support from Republicans and it a way that avoids a 60 vote threshold of a filibuster in the Senate.
Democratic officials said the president’s proposal was being written so that it could be attached to a budget bill as a way of averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate. The procedure, known as budget reconciliation, would let Democrats advance the bill with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote supermajority.
Yet again, the Obama Administration has tossed aside transparency and has crafted this legislation behind closed doors. Not even all Congressional Democrats have been looped into this secret proposal:
During a conference call on Wednesday night, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, told the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, that she could not agree to a proposal until rank-and-file lawmakers returned from a weeklong recess. A House Democratic caucus meeting is set for Monday evening. … Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the president would “take some of the best ideas” from the House and the Senate and “put them into a framework.”
The plan is for the House would pass the Senate version of Obamacare and use the special reconciliation process as a means to amend it. This special procedure is clearly an abuse of the reconciliation procedure and helps liberals to toss aside the filibuster in the Senate. As Charlotte Davis explained earlier:
Reconciliation was not intended to be the procedure of last resort when other means fail, and to do so would be a complete abuse of reconciliation rules. Some may bring up other examples of massive legislation passed through reconciliation bills as proof that using reconciliation bills to explode government spending is okay, but past instances of wrongdoing does not make it acceptable to add $2 trillion dollars worth of health care spending.
This is also a means to empower Vice President Joe Biden to act as President of the Senate during this debate so that he can ignore Republicans who will be outraged by the process. The election of Scott Brown to the Senate in liberal Massachusetts was a strong referendum against Obamacare. Add that to the polling that indicates that a large majority of Americans are opposed to the President’s health care proposal (see Real Clear Politics) and one can understand why Congress was backing away from the proposal.
But The New York Times article indicates that the Obama Administration and liberal Members of Congress are willing to use the Nuclear Option to get the unpopular bill through the House and Senate.
Thus, President Obama will become Dictator Obama. It doesn't matter if the Republicans are there or not, the Liberals will push a purely unconstitutional issue through in an unconstitutional manner. Freedom is thrown away and the Dictatorship of Obama will become the rule of the day.
WE DON'T WANT OBAMA'S HEALTHCARE!!
This man just does not understand English. We are tired of telling him over and over again that we do not want 'his' healthplan.
It is becomming more and more obvious that OBAMA is stilted in
intellect. Is ther some way to help that sickness?
Let the Dems pull their reconciliation stunt, because the moment they ram this unwanted legislation down our throats, they will have kissed off any chance of holding either house in November. Democrats always seem so shocked and offended to discover, as they inevitably do, that the vast majority of American voters are not progressive loons…
If the Democrats try this maneuver they will find out that they Tea Party will move from name only to that of a resurrected, active, historical movement. Just about the time you conclude that no one can be this dumb you read an article like this. This is indeed a nuclear option, and it will be nuclear if they attempt to pull this off.
Absolutely! The American people have rejected this giant giveaway to the insurance companies, and rightfully so. If the congress-critters weren't so bought off, they would have produced something much more popular, like a decent single payer system!
Maybe they'll get it right next time . . .
WATCH OUT AMERICA! OBUMMER IS GONNA RAPE YOU, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!
I can't believe the audacity of this Chicago thug! Go ahead, try to force this down our throat. We'll do the same thing a lady does when she's forced, WE'LL BITE IT OFF!
This is the type of stuff that is exactly why we had a revolution and our fore father wrote a clear constitution that prohibits this kind of crap. I just don't understand how these people can consider themselves Americans. The people will not stand for this crap.
Everyone agrees we need health care reform, that is not an issue. But, making the issue worse is not the answer. I think maobama is not our president, I think he is a spokesman for something very different. There is something very wrong with what is going on here and it does not feel right.
Do we have a Dictatorship or a Democracy? It must be the former since we don't want this bill.
We the people should respond with tar and feathers.
The current state of the American government takeover by radical liberals, and the peril this represents for liberty and the people is mind-numbing. I wish that this were someone's bad dream scenario, but it is all too real, and I am living through this nightmare. I have to ask myself how this could have happened to my country. The answer is that it has been many years in the making–a clandestine coup crafted by leftist elites and working itself out even as Joseph McCarthy worked to expose it. How could we "boomers" have been so blind to this? Is it stoppable short of violence and civil war? I pray that it is. I fear that the ramming of this socialist bill through congress will be the catalyst, the spark that will ignite the people to rise up and attempt to throw off the corrupt government threatening to crush liberty. I will continue to pray to the God who gave us our inalienable rights that this Republic I hold dear will survive this current assault.
Please, please, please pass reconcilliation. This will allow me to beat my Democratic opponent over the head in November! State House here I come!:)
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IS THIS CONSTITUTIONAL? THIS MEANS ANYTHING CAN BECOME LAW WITH 51 SENATE VOTES!
Majority Rules!
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The people have spoken. No government healthcare!! This guy does not give up.
does anybody out there understand why our medical ins. and medical care should be changed by the liberals to satisfy 15% of americans who do not have insurance? what does that have to do with the rest of us who pay for our own insurance? do you not think there is a better way?….the proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things…..
This is just one more episode of this petty dictator forcing the population to do his bidding. How come when he was voted in by 52% the majority ruled but now that over 60% do not want this it doesn't matter anymore. Obama accused Bush of hurting the country, I see no difference when Obama is sticking knives in Uncle Sams back.
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I do not believe that this ObamaCare nightmare is constitutional. In any event, a 'progressive court' will not challenge it. Thus, if this bill does so pass then I think that two things need to occur;
1. Every Senator who passes a 'yea' vote must be voted out of office, and voted out for this very specific reason.
2. After having reseated the Congress Impeachment Hearings and Procedures must be commenced. Mr. Obama is clearly an enemy of the United States.
Thank you for the up-to-date information. I am trying to contain my disgust over once again being threatened by our employees. Can anyone explain why a group of elected officials would create and pass legislation that its citizenry detests and will put the final nail in our fragile economy? What evil vermin have americans elected?
What do I think about this? Anger, sadness, with a pit in my stomach because the people entrusted to uphold the laws of our Country aren't doing so–instead, they prefer to spend their time defrauding American citizens, misrepresenting and twisting the truth. I was taught that a half-truth is still a lie. Well, the divine Ms Pelosi DID warn us that she would pole vault over the fence, if necessary. It appears that the Dems have started a few practice vaults before the 25th.
in my view obama is trying to push his health deform bill thru before they lose congress , so that he can clame that he accomplish something.
this man is never going to accomplish any thing because it requires leader ship to accomplish things which he does not have.
Just watched "The Patriot". These Marxists POS will learn one way or the other that true Americans will not watch their freedom taken away without a fight.
The President has temporarily put us Conservative Republicans in a double bind with his threat of reconciliation coming at the same time calling for a a joint meeting with the Republicans on February 25th to give the public the impression he is truly bipartisan.. The Republicans are damned if they go to this meeting and dammed if they do not go to this meeting. What to do is to place a double bind back on this President. Here it my hypothesis: If the President goes along with the Republican's idea of starting over on health care legislation, we will offer our full cooperation and call for all meetings on Health Care legislation to be televised on C Span. At the same time we propse this we call out this President repeatedly on radio, internet, tv , etc. for his behind the door deals he made with the Unions, Nebraska, and Louisiana. Say it Loud! Politically force the President into accepting our proposal! Put the political pressure back on him. ; he will only cooperate when we politcally twist his elbow!
Are they trying to get old, white guys to riot in the streets so they can subvert the Constitution, implement martial law, and steal the few remaining rights of The People?
This isn't American Democracy; it's Fascism.
This is pathetic………the democratic party is full of gutless idiots who seem to think that they know what's best for the American people. I say ………pass it through in your underhanded sneaky way……….and the American people will ignore it….. It's time to get people into office that will take away all of the "perks" these people enjoy……..and kick their "sorry butts" to the curb!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe richard on 2-19-10 has it correct. In my opinion we will not see another election in this country, this administration will cram the health care bill with the soul purpose of creating the riot that will allow it to implement martial law and become the soul dictator of the country. In my opinion this admimistration, including the house leader, & senate leader are domestic enemys of state & any one who doesn't think that this administration isn't trying to destroy this great country really need to hear a pop in the morning when they get up' let me say it this way remove there heads form the sand. I beg you all to remember 1933 Germany' they all though they could remove Hitler & look what happened over there. I also beg all of you to remember what Winston Churchill said, If you don't STUDY history you are doomed to repeat it.
If the radical/liberals jam it through with 51 Senate votes, I assume when the conservatives regain Presidential, House & Senate power it can be killed with a simple majority in both House & Senate.
Social Security – broke, deeply in debt, working American's taxes rise to pay for it…
Medicare – broke, deeply in debt, working American's taxes rise to pay for it…
Medicaid – broke, deeply in debt, working American's taxes rise to pay for it…
Government Housing Programs – broke, deeply in debt, working American's taxes rise to pay for it…
So much for the standard of living for our future generations with this grand Health Care scam. The corruption, graft, greed, and every other human failing which has bankrupted these other government programs will be tiny compared to what we will see in the next decades.
These people know exactly what they are doing. They don't care one bit if the majority rejects their plans. They think they know what is best for us. They thought they knew what was best for America with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. They were wrong. And they don't care. They won't be the ones who suffer. We will.
And a generation of broken and suffering Conservatives will be the result. So be it.
Good luck to failed liberals and their failed liberal policies in the next elections and thereafter…….we will never forget the damage and suffering they've created in the past 80 years.
Uh… just a correction. Joe Biden IS the President of the Senate — that is a constitutionally mandated job of the VP.
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Going to a single payer system would fix all of this. If you are on Medicare, Medicaid, a Federal or State employee, or in a Unions, you are already on a socialized health care plan. Deal with it, other people are paying for you now, and I don't hear any of you complaining about it.
If they pass it, taking both houses would be small consolation, only a veto proof supermajority would do any good. And thats not posdible this cycle. Impeachment? All's fair if thry are going to abuse the process we'll need every tool available to undo this.
Richard – Amen to your comments. This is not democracy. This is tyranny. Pure and simple.
I sincerely Do hope that President Obamanation and the liberals in congress do attempt to ram this monstrosity through.It will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are tone deaf to the wish's and wants of the American people. They will discover that their actions will have consequences they will live to regret, especially when, 13 and counting,state
attorney's generals, file suit against this Obamanation ….when i was a young lad my granddad always told me, "Be carefull what you ask for, you just might get it ", it seems the democrats are asking to be taken out the proverbial woodshed, and in November, the voters of this country will be the ones administering the "whoopin".
I don't even know what to say anymore. Obama and the liberal progressives on Capital Hill seem hell bent to pass a horrible excuse for legislation although the American people have said many times via the last three elections democrats unexpectedly lost as well as poll after poll that clearly says the voters are against "Owe"bamaCare by a 70% – 30% margin.
This renewed push now amounts to an abuse of power in my opinion. Obama likes pie-in-the-sky … here is mine: I'd like to see a suit filed against congress and the administration that forces an injuction against the government to immediately cease spending our money and wasting anymore time promoting ObamaCare. If they persist, then any and all costs of that persistance would be back charged directly to the guilty individuals and collected by the IRS.
Question to Obama, Reid and Pelosi: "Could you hear us then?"
Instead of nationalizing everything in sight including health care, why don't we address the reasons for the current problem? Having been with and without insurance over the years, I discovered there is muti-level pricing (remember that phrase), This has been my personal experience with my family – If you have insurance, the dr's visit is one price, if you don't, it's another. If you have insurance, the dr will automatically order more tests and if you don't, they will use "good judgement". If you must have lab tests, if you have insurance, the lab costs are one price and if you don't it is another. In the case of an CT scan of the neck with contrast, the price 13 yrs ago was $1,600 with insurance and $930 without. Once I got there, I further negotiated the price to $690 for cash. I have raised cain with insurance companies for paying $22 for "mucus control device" that was nothing more ordinary small $1 box of Kleenex. The insurance company says "Mr Parker, we don't have time to run down every single item. It's more cost effective for us to just pay it unless it is something outrageous". ????????
It's is my observation that Dr's, Hospitals, Labs, insurance companies, drug companies and trial lawyers are all cheating each other, just to keep up with the ever rising costs. That accusation I'd say is equally applied across the board for every single element of healthcare industry in this country. The good news is, up until now, there's always been plenty of money to still support research and development despite the internal corruption built into the system. That's why we currently have the best healthcare in the world. The bad news is between the partisipants in the system getting greedy and stealing too much from the system, as wellas government moving more and more people to "free" healthcare so those with insurance see their premiums go up to compensate – now Mr. & Mrs.Joe Q. Public can't afford to support the costs in mass any longer. It occurs to me that all this debate of "single payer" or nationalized healthcare doesn't matter anymore anyway. Joe Q. Public can not afford to continue to pay the insurance premiums and copays anymore than our bankrupt government thinks it has the money to pay for them either.
I suggest our government spend it's time and resources looking for causes (including its own effects on the system) and honest solutions to the real problems within the system first.
THIS IS A VERY SAD TIME FOR CONSERVATIVE AMERICANS , WE ARE SEEING SO MUCH OF OUR FREEDOMS GOING AWAY . I ONLY WISH THERE WAS A WAY THAT MORE OF US GET INVOLVED TO GET RID OF THE LIB RIFT RAFT IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE , THEY HAVE NO CONCERN FOR US , ONLY FOR GETTING POWER , IT'S RIPPING US ALL OFF . TIME FOR A REVOLUTION IF YOU ASK ME !!
Pure tyranny , govt. control , more spending , no regard for us . All indications are pointing to this govt. going into marxism and it has to stop . Looks like if this healthscam passes there will be a revoultion . Count me in .
Pure tyranny and if they think they can get away with it there will be a revolution . No regard for our constitution , no regard for what the people are saying , only wanting power at any cost . We won't stand for it !!!!!
Hello my children. I am OBAMA OF BORG. ALL must join my and Lord Pharma's collective! If you breathe you must have health insurance. If you don't you will pay a fine as mandated by my favorite agency, the IRS. Ahhhh, the sweet smell of the new IRS 1040 form with my provision on it. Resistance is futile!
PS…my union brothers will still get their exemptions. Some are more equal than others. My favorite book is Animal Farm.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my smoke-filled back room. Keep it greasy so it will go down easy.
This is the most ANTI-DEMOCRATIC thing done in Washington in a long time.
It's time to take away the name of their party. they are not "Democrats" in any shape or form … They are the Socialist Liberal Incompetent Meddling Elitist party … SLIME.
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How can anyone say that a single payer system is the only answer? I will agree that it is the only answer socialism has. Just look at what the so called "single payer" system has gotten the American people up until now. A not only broke system but a hopelessly in debt system. Is it not obvious that repeating the same mistakes will only produce the same miserable outcomes? I absolutely disagree with the idea that a single payer system is the only answer but is an answer that is disastrously insane..The free enterprise system has proven time and time again that the open market not only reduces prices but improves quality. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Albert Einstein
A single-payer system will hurt insurance companies, city, and state governments. As insurance companies go out of business, unfortunately, cities and states will loose money from collecting taxes off of the profits that insurance companies make. They can also loose more money by not collecting taxes off the incomes from the employees who work for these insurance companies.
There is a private health insurance company that does medical coding, and they employ about 200 people. It is located in the city I live in (population: 15,000). If this company goes "belly up," my city will loose money in tax revenue. My state will sollow suit.
Single-Payer System = Poor Quality Healthcare
Single-Payer System = Loss of Tax Revenue
Single-Payer System = Total Disaster and Complete Failure of a Healthcare System
Jerry in Maryland who thinks we should "deal with it" and go for a single-payer system: You make no sense, and I can only assume you are one who receives an entitlement, or you want to entitle someone, and you want us all to pay for it. Jerry, most of us do NOT want to pay to carry you, or be forced to carry anyone else. We believe in individualism. All of the entitlement programs we already have are hurting this country, and look, the recipients of these programs are never satisfied. Jerry, go out there and help the person you want to help. It can be your individual choice, not a government mandate.
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In the so-called healthcare debate:
"POOL" = Public Option
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I'm not the least supprised with this reconcilliation process for healthcare. To idealogues like Obama, 4years is all they want and need. They are not in it for reelection! They know darn well what they do will get them tossed from office, afterall they know they can't campaign and win based on what they plan to do-so they already know it is very unpopular! All they need to do is get in one term with majority rule and the stage is set for destruction of "evil status quo."
I guessed correctly that no matter how unpopular the policies were, the major lib win in 08' meant a run for the finish line for Saul Alinski type fascist takeover of America. I'm not supprised because this is the only time these extremists can get done what they want to do. The 08' election was an oportunity that comes very rarely! Since during the campaign when Obama talked about change, I knew exactly what change meant-fundimental damage to our nation! Don't ever ever think that politicians will automatically want to uphold the constitution! Politicians on both sides of the isle for the past 20 years have been working hard to wiggle around the constitution as much as possible!
Will private practice become imidiately illegal when this bill passes, as in imidiately this spring? Think about it-are any of you planning to have an out patient procendure done soon?
This is the pain that will be imidately felt when this passes! A person may have a need for elective outpatient procedure they'd be willing to pay out of pocket, yet this may be illegal imidiately puting say a chairopractor or eye doctor imidiately out of business as soon as Obamacare pases!
Sorry for multiple postings but it seems too coincidental that McCain has proposed legislation that will make it problematic to use alternative herbal medicine. His bill coming at a time when Obama is planning the nuclear option! Two big wins for pharma lobyists! Along with not being able to avoid the public option, It could become illegal to care for your own well being with anything but perscription and FDA medicine! Heaven forbid someone buys turmuric!
http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/bud_rec_proc….
Before you buy this article as truth,first take a look at the link above. You're going to find out that the reconciliation process has NOTHING at all to do with the "Nuclear Option". The "Nuclear Option" was what the Dem's called removing the Filibuster from the Senate rules. When Dem's were Filibustering Pres.Bush's Judicial Nominee's the Republican's in the Senate suggested removing the Filibuster from the rules so Dem's could no longer Filibuster Pres.Bush's nominee's,when that was proposed by then Senate Leader Se.n Bill Frist(R-TN) the Dem's nicknamed the move the "Nuclear Option".
Reconciliation isn't the "Nuclear Option" it's a budgetary process that actually allows both Party';s the opportunity to participate in debate and offer Amendments to the Bill as long as the Amendment is germane and doesn't push the Bill over budgetary limits. Read the link,educate yourself,don't take the words of Party shills like Mr.Levin here as all truthful,they're not.
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The Obamites including the socialists Pelosi and Reid are like a pack of spoiled brats. They do not hear (or care about) what the overwhelming majority of this country want. If daddy says no – go ask mommy. If she says no, go tell daddy mommy said okay then ram it down their throats with a tantrum. You parents out there, does this sound familiar? Can you believe that our elected officials are behaving like this? I think we should REVOKE their allowance and send them to bed with no supper. Get ready for 2010 and 2012.
Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the lot are LIARS & HYPOCRITES. I can't wait to vote them OUT! Unless, of course there's a REVOLUTION first! . . . I think I hear it comin'!!!!!!!
Well, isn't this a clear proof that last week's summit was just a dog and ponny show? So, that Obama could give a little impression of "listening" to the American people, when all the way, he already knew what he was going to do! And are we, the American people, just suckers to believe this scheme?
The NUCLEAR OPTION, is NOT RECONCILIATION!!!!! The nuclear option is the term used to change the rules of the senate to ABOLISH the filibuster. Reconciliation is the same thing as when Bush was in office, and they used the "up or down vote" to pass war appropriations and tax cuts for the rich.
Reconciliation is the UP OR DOWN VOTE. Stop calling this move unprecedented. The GOP used it 17 out of 22 times reconciliation has been used over the last ten years.
Gee Kathleen, are you threatening to secede, or just attack the capitol with a rifle?
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We will overturn this. We will vote them out. And we will prosecute their criminal wrong doing and punish them for their abuse of power.
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