Health Care
Health Care: Senate Prepares for Battle over Reconciliation
Published March 11, 2010, 10:12 pm, CST
by Diane W. Collins
dcollins@marketingweb.com
As Democratic leaders meet on the Hill behind closed doors the House begins it's morning session. Speaker Pelosi has asked them to postpone their debate on health care reform until this afternoon when all members can be present.
In the upper chamber the Senate is making preparations for a battle over reconciliation. To that point, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) discuss several points surrounding the current Senate health care reform bill before the House; the new CBO scoring, and the use of reconciliation. Sen. McCain reminds the nation of then Sen. Barack Obama's statement that "reconciliation was not what the founding fathers intended," and that there would simply be absolute majority rule on either side if reconciliation were used. Sen. McCain goes on to ask if that's still how President Obama feels? This is the principal referred to as the "tyranny of the masses."
Sen. McCain went on to recognize the Republicans used reconciliation in the past, but on issues that did not change one-sixth of the American economy. It was noted by Sen. Alexander (R-TN), that Sen. McCain actually fought against his own party in the use of reconciliation in the Senate during the Bush Administration, stating it went against the intent of the founding fathers. Sen. Alexander in recognizing Sen. McCain's credibility stated, "...He is saying now what he said then..."
The debate continues. More video and commenatry this afternoon.
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