Former Senate Parliamentarian: 'I Would Never Use The Term Illegitimate W Regard To Reconciliation

[mod mom]

Former Senate Parliamentarian: 'I Would Never Use The Term Illegitimate With Regard To Reconciliation'

The man who served as Senate parliamentarian on and off from 1981-2001 has news for Senate Republicans, who say the Democrats are way out on a limb using the majority-vote budget reconciliation process to amend health care legislation.

"Reconciliation has been used a lot," said Robert Dove on MSNBC this morning. "And I would never use the term illegitimate with regard to reconciliation."

"It has been used starting in 1980 for very large, major bills. And it is a way, of course, of getting around the problem of the Senate filibuster," Dove went on.

In the mid-1980s, the Senate adopted the Byrd rule, which placed restrictions on what measures can pass through reconciliation, but in recent years, it has been used to pass major entitlement and tax reforms, including multi-trillion dollar Bush tax cuts.

However, decisions about what does and does not conform to the Byrd rule is ultimately not up to the parliamentarian. The parliamentarian's job is to advise the Senate chair--a.k.a. the Vice President--who gets to make the final decision.

VIDEO @ Link:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/former-senate-parliamentarian-i-would-never-use-the-term-illegitimate-with-regard-to-reconciliation.php?ref=fpblg