White House may seek to bypass filibuster rule in Senate

[babylonsister]

White House may seek to bypass filibuster rule in Senate

By Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A top White House official threatened Tuesday to use a congressional rule to force some controversial proposals through the Senate by eliminating the Republicans' power to block legislation.

Peter Orszag, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the Obama administration would prefer not to use the budget "reconciliation" process that allows measures to pass the Senate on simple majority votes.

Orszag said he wouldn't rule it out, however. The legislative tactic is being considered to push through Obama's global warming and health care programs, and perhaps his proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy.

"We'd like to avoid it if possible," Orszag told reporters at a luncheon in Washington. "But we're not taking it off the table."

Members of Congress are bracing for a political donnybrook should the Democrats use the reconciliation process to sidestep the Republicans and their power of the filibuster in the Senate. Under normal Senate rules, it requires 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to shut off debate and force a final vote. Democrats currently have 58 Senate votes. Under reconciliation, 51 votes can force anything through.

There is plenty of historical precedent of using it by both parties, including Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who used it force through big tax cuts.

"Pretty much every major piece of budget legislation going back to April 1981, April '82, April 1990, April 1993, the 1990 act, the 2001 tax legislation, they were all done through reconciliation. Yet somehow this is being presented as an unusual thing," Orszag said.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/64192.html

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. Hells yeah! It's a great budget.

[biopowertoday]

2. No it is not as Single Payer health care is off the WH table.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. *facepalm*

This budget is not perfect but it has many many many good things in it. The Republicans aren't suggesting adding to it. They're suggesting cutting away the good from it. Then we won't have universal healthcare OR increased veterans benefits, increased education budgets, etc. etc. etc.

[bvar22]

13. *facepalm*

If the Democrats are going to go around the Republicans, giving up on trying to compromise with them, then WHY NOT include a Single Payer Public Option? :shrug:
The Republicans are going to scream anyway.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

14. Because we may have enough to get a simple majority for the budget, but we definitely

do not have a simple majority in the senate for single payer health insurance. And Obama is no liberal. He doesn't support it himself. It sucks. If Single Payer was in the budget, then the budget would be spectacular. But it's not and it is not likely to be. That doesn't change the fact that this budget provides money for many desperately needed programs that *I* don't want to see get watered down for no good reason.

[lib_wit_it]

9. Which is so exactly the opposite of what this country wants and needs! Obama has got this one wrong.

The fucking rich slimy bastard middlemen rule it all. There is no justice without a shitload of dough to get it, and they are quickly taking away any chance of anyone but the current fat cats to ever get that kind of fortune. We are all going to become virtual slaves to that top 10% who will soon have 99% of the wealth.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. You know, I apologize for the snarky response the first time.

I haven't slept in 36 hours. No excuse. I'm sorry.

[librechik]

4. Nuke the 60 vote shackles!

[bridgit]

6. No doubt, 'super majorities' undermine Democracy

[backscatter712]

5. We have our own nuclear option!!!

Time to push the button.

Again, this is well-earned payback for the GOP playing these games.

[Hawkeye-X]

7. *cough* as I advocated again *cough*

NUCLEAR OPTION IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY (LIKE THIS ONE!) that can be revoked and rewritten with fair use of the option.

Hawkeye-X

[mudesi]

8. GOOD! Fight Fire With Fire

It's time the Republicans tasted their own medicine.

[Juche]

10. Get EFCA passed that way

If we can't get Specter to turn after Franken is seated, just use the budget reconciliation. The GOP will fight like hell to block it but fuck them.

[Peace Patriot]

11. You know what? When I see "White House" as the subject of a sentence--

i.e., "The White House says...," or, as here, "The White House seeks..."--in the first second or two after reading it, I still brace myself for bald-faced lies, egregious hypocrisy, callous disregard for human life, lawlessless, crimes, coverups of crimes and treason.

It's like I have a flinch reflex. "White House" means evil, and when I see the words "White House," my instinct is to tense up at the next evil that is about to be unleashed upon us or others.

I wonder how long it will take not to do that.

:patriot: :grouphug: :patriot:

[babylonsister]

12. I know what you mean! But I never capitalized 'that' wh. nt