Republicans Plan "Vicious Fight" on Senate Floor

[babylonsister]

GOP readies wave of objections to stall healthcare bill in Senate
By Alexander Bolton - 09/01/09 05:38 AM ET


Sen. Judd Gregg has hundreds of procedural objections ready for a healthcare plan Democrats want to speed through the Senate.

Gregg (N.H.), the senior Republican on the Budget Committee, told The Hill in a recent interview that Republicans will wage a vicious fight if Democrats try to circumvent Senate rules and use a budget maneuver to pass a trillion-dollar healthcare plan with a simple majority.

The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) leaves Democrats with 59 Senate seats — one shy of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. That, combined with the pushback from Republican negotiators, has prompted Democratic leaders to look more closely at using budget reconciliation to push a healthcare overhaul through.

The maneuver was originally intended to help reduce the federal deficit by allowing spending cuts and tax increases to pass by majority vote, but it has since been used to fast-track wider-scope legislation, such as former President George W. Bush’s 2001 tax cuts.

Republicans, however, warn that if Democrats attempt the maneuver, their healthcare bill will end up looking like Swiss cheese.

Gregg said that Republicans could file “hundreds” of points-of-order objections to the bill, each one requiring 60 votes to waive.

“We are very much engaged in taking a hard look at our rights under reconciliation,” Gregg said. “It would be very contentious.”

more...

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/56897-gop-objections-await-healthcare-plan

[aquart]

1. And I want every second of it televised and used in future campaign ads.

I think it is lovely of them to provide our material for us. So kind. So generous. So Kennedy in spirit.

[gratuitous]

2. Dear Mr. Gregg

Bring it on.

Love and kisses,
gratuitous

[Gman]

3. Humana, United Health Care, et al are getting very desparate

and will do anything or pay anyone anything to stop health care reform.

[sallyseven]

5. The funny thing is

United Health care has the worst reputation when it has to pay out claims. You have to submit the claim too many times. Humana is not too far behind. The insurance companies are crooks and do not deliver the best health care. VA and Medicare do deliver the goods.

[DrDan]

4. Orrin Hatch, Mitch McConnell . . . .

I have a hard time visualizing a "vicious" fight with those 2 . . . .

[LiberalAndProud]

6. A viicious fight in the Senate will bore us all to tears.

hundreds of procedural objections

[no limit]

7. ofcourse the democrats had no way of blocking reconciliation when they were the minority

I'm starting to really hate the democrats right now.

[villager]

8. Harry Reid? "Vicious fight" over anything? At all? Ever?

That would require, you know, principles and beliefs you thought were actually worth fighting for...!

[Maru Kitteh]

9. bring. it. on.

Let them. Let them reveal themselves as the cold and heartless bastards that they are. Let them rail against an ordinary Americans right not to live in abject fear of losing everything because they broke their leg or got into an accident. Let them rail against the laid-off workers, single moms and working poor of this country with no access, no help and little hope of this country.

Our job is to make sure the public is made to remember that these are their children, their neighbors, their friends that are without healthcare - and then let the Republicans hang themselves.

[krispos42]

10. Harry Reid had better make them filibuster

Republicans are pretty much always on the wrong side of history.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. What's so disgusting about this is how close Obama came to appointing this asshole to his cabinet!

[LiberalAndProud]

13. Reid? At least it would have removed him from the Senate.

Who would have replaced him? Maybe someone who had at least one conviction about something?

How did I miss that he was being considered for a cabinet position...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. No, Judd Gregg

n/t

[samrock]

12. I picture republicans as...

A rich spoiled boy of around 7.. wearing dress shorts and laying on the floor.. he is kicking his feet into the floor while pounding his fists in the floor screaming at the top of his lungs NO! NO! NO! NO! till his face is a bright red ...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. I hate to say it but........

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!