Reconciliation and the Senate Bill – American Thinker
March 10, 2010
Reconciliation and the Senate Bill
By Marilyn M. Barnewall
The Democrat-dominated Senate apparently does not have the 60-vote margin required to pass a health care bill that the public does not want. We’ve been accused of not wanting it because we do not understand it (because we’re stupid), but put that aside for a moment.
When Republicans held a Senate majority, they used a voting method called “reconciliation.” It requires a simple majority of 51 rather than the usual 60. Perhaps in memory of what they think was GOP misbehavior, the Democrats now want to misbehave themselves by using the reconciliation process to get their party’s health care package passed.
The best parliamentary expert in the Democratic Party is Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV). Rules written by Byrd say that during the reconciliation process, a senator may challenge a provision of a bill. If the parliamentarian rules in favor of the challenge, then that provision is removed from the measure, and the bill continues through the reconciliation process. The parliamentarian may, of course, rule in opposition to the challenge, and the bill will still continue through the reconciliation process.
Remember: The Democrats don’t have 60 votes.
Chicago-style politics dominate Capitol Hill. Parliamentarianism is, as a result, not terribly high on anyone’s priority list. It’s been cast aside with the Constitution and the rule of law. However, there are rules that do apply to reconciliation, and failing to follow them can open a large can of worms.
Something may have been overlooked — intentionally or otherwise. It’s called “Social Security.”
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