The Hill: Conrad opens door to reconciliation for healthcare

[Pirate Smile]

Conrad opens door to reconciliation for healthcare

The Senate Budget Committee Chairman said Wednesday he’s willing to use special rules to force changes to the healthcare legislation through the Senate with a simple majority vote.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) made clear his openness to applying budget reconciliation to healthcare, a position he opposed prior to this week’s special election in Massachusetts, is contingent on the content of the bill.

His comments lend weight to speculation that congressional Democratic leaders plan to have the House pass the Senate healthcare reform without changes, then pass a second bill with changes hashed out between the two chambers' leaders and the White House.

"If the House passed the Senate bill, could reconciliation, that process, be used to fix things that might be improved upon? Yes," Conrad said. "Would I support it? I can’t know that without knowing what would be included in the package."

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/77097-conrad-opens-door-to-reconciliation-for-healthcare


This is big.

MSNBC just reported that Pelosi WILL try to pass the Senate bill IF
in return, the Senate Dems. give the House a separate piece of legislation in return called a "patch" on the budget-related issues in the original healthchare bill which would alter things like the "Cadillac tax" and the scope of mandates. And these could be done through reconciliation.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=140078&mesg_id=140078

[DrToast]

1. This is the way to go

Get it done ASAP.

By the time the midterms roll around, it won't be as powerful as an issue.

[flamingdem]

2. Good nt

[ericgtr]

3. Let's face it the dems have been pushovers

I would love for them to show a little backbone for a change.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. yadda yadda yadda, I will believe nothing I hear, and only half of what I see.

[dtotire]

5. Get It Done ASAP ;n/t

[RC]

6. As far as I am concern, Kent Conrad has totally lost any creditability he ever had.

Everything he says or does is suspect now. Just as with most other conservative republicans in congress.