GOP Strategy: Derail Health Bill Reconciliation Fix With “Free For All” Of Amendments
The GOP Senate leadership has privately settled on a strategy to derail health reform if Dems try to pass the Senate bill with a fix through reconciliation, aides say: Unleash an endless stream of amendments designed to stall for time and to force Dems to take untenable votes.
The aide described the planned GOP strategy as a “free for all of amendments,” vowing Dems would face “a mountain of amendments so politically toxic they’ll make the first health debate look like a post office naming.”
Senator Judd Gregg is getting some attention today because he vowed to make it an “extraordinarily difficult exercise” for Dems to pass the Senate bill through the House while getting the Senate to fix the bill with a “sidecar” through reconciliation.
I asked a senior GOP Senate aide to explain the game plan for making this an “extraordinarily difficult exercise.” He said the leadership — Senators Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander, etc. — are discussing how to exploit the fact that the reconciliation process allows for an “open-ended amendment process.”
That means there’s no limit on the number of amendments GOPers can offer, the aide said, or on their subject matter. A senior Democratic aide confirmed that this is the case — and that it’s a concern weighing on Dems.
“If you bring a reconciliation bill to the Senate, it’s a free for all of amendments,” the GOP aide said, cautioning that this was only part of the overall strategy. “There is no way to limit the number of amendments that are voted on. You can’t close debate. Democrats will have to vote on every politically perilous amendment that you can possibly think of.”
In practice, the GOP aide said, this means that Republicans can offer amendments that aren’t even “germane” to the health care bill. He said Republicans would also exploit individual initiatives to “fix” the bill in order to force tough votes on Senate Dems.
For instance, the aide said, one of the provisions likely to be fixed in reconciliation is the protections Senator Bill Nelson secured for Floridians enrolled in Medicare advantage. Senate GOPers could “make everybody vote against allowing that same provision to be in place for their own constituents,” the aide says.
To be sure, some of this could be bluff and bluster from the GOP. But it probably behooves Dems to be prepared for this gambit. More as I learn it.
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tena:
why are you trying so hard to convince us to not pass this bill if you are simultaneously convinced it’s suicide?
Because I for one care more about preventing bad legislation than I do about Dems destroying themselves. There is no contradiction or irrationality in that.
Nick can you address the present without invoking Bush? Also fill me in as to what party is mine?
See that’s your and alot of other folks problem in this echochamber you assume way to much and look like an ****ume.
Now back to the US Constitution and the dems tearing it apart with their supposed healthcare reform.
Scott C. I am with you I would rather prevent bad legislation from happening then spend my time trying to destroy the dems or the repugs for that matter. Both parties do a good job of destorying themselves all on their own.
The GOP better be careful, who knows what might happen if they are perceived as opposing something that 60% of voters oppose.
Wow. Troops, Big Baby, Scott C, QB, “unfortunate”…
A real gang of intellectual heavyweights out to defend the extremist Republican Party. OH WHAT FUN!
You really are unfortunate if you are not aware of the lies of everyone’s favorite half term governor (remember death panels) or the lies of Grassley (kill grandma) or the lies of an uncountable number of your brethren (government take over of 1/6 of the economy). There are also the lies regarding the Medicare Advisory Board that might be my favorite because it also includes another repug favorite – the hypocritical lie.
And as far as “malpractice reform” the quote from Howard Dean simply misses the point. The fact is, tort reform has been proven to have very little effect on insurance rates or medical costs. Further, most everyone agrees that if even a single repug had been willing to negotiate in good faith, this would have been addressed.
Though there is no real limit to the amendments that can be made to the health reform bill during reconciliation, the Democrats may be able to spin toxic amendments against the Republicans while accepting those of value. Sneaky politics has hurt the Democrats in the creation of the Senate bill and could equally hurt the Republicans if they try to be too smart in their delay tactics.
I would point out to a previous commenter in the thread that because Republicans passed unpopular legislation through reconciliation doesn’t mean Democrats should as well. As I recall, tactics of those kind resulted in their loss of the House and Senate. Is it really wise to use this as a justification for the Democrats to try the same tactics? As for decrying Republican delaying tactics using procedure, pollsters find low support for this HC bill. Brown explicitly campaigned on using his election to gum up the works of its passage. Republican delaying tactics are likely welcome by a majority of Americans, as disappointing as it must be for proponents. Living in a fantasy world about the public hunger for unpopular gargantuan legislation is not going to help anyone but your political opponents. It kind of makes you look delusional.
“one of the provisions likely to be fixed in reconciliation is the protections Senator Bill Nelson secured for Floridians enrolled in Medicare advantage. Senate GOPers could “make everybody vote against allowing that same provision to be in place for their own constituents,”
My mother needs and pays for Medicare Advantage and doesn’t live in Florida. I bet she paid as many taxes all her life as those seniors in Florida…so yes, I think this benefit should either be extended to all seniors in all states or to none at all.
Why the inequity? So, yes, if only in the interest of basic fairness, I hope the Republicans keep this dog of a bill from passage.
One question to you sheeple who blindly support this awful HCR bill: How do you feel about paying more to cover the $60 BILLION giveaway to the Unions in the late night, closed door, non-CSpanned deal Obama made? Or, are all of you supports paid union flaks? Just asking. BTW Love that Cornhusker kickback and Louisiana purchase and Gatoraide! Nice work people.
I’m in favor of anything the Republicans want to do to stop this horrible bill. If they aren’t able to stop it, my disabled child is going to lose her health care.
I’m a pharmacist and yes, I’ve read much of the bill, at least the parts that the Demoncrats have allowed us to see. And denying health care to people with special needs is in the bill – I read it myself.
whatever it takes to kill this bill I’m game!
Dems want to do something then cut fraud and waste in Medicare, Social Security, Welfare and all other entitlement programs. Heck just cut all the fraud and waste in the government period. Stop grants for the scam global warming and any other BS grant like studying prostitute who drink in Japan or China or where ever the heck it was.
We could probably pay back most of our debt if our elected officals were serious about cutting waste and fraud. As far as grants it’s nothing but a way for the elite to fill their pockets with taxpayers money. If something is worth the research the private sector will put up the money to research it.
How about we use our own energy instead of millions a year going to the ME that hates America and all it stands for? Why not have those millions stay in America instead of financing radical Islam to kill Americans???
Common sense sure is lacking in America today.
The reason that “Cornhusker kickback, Louisiana purchase and Gatoraide” exists is because of the GOP perpetual veto. If it could be passed as an up or down vote, that BS wouldn’t be in the bill. You can’t have it both ways – force the Dems into pork ridden deals then condemn them for it.
# Sheri | January 26th, 2010 at 09:23 pm
I’m in favor of anything the Republicans want to do to stop this horrible bill. If they aren’t able to stop it, my disabled child is going to lose her health care.
I’m a pharmacist and yes, I’ve read much of the bill, at least the parts that the Demoncrats have allowed us to see. And denying health care to people with special needs is in the bill – I read it myself.
==
And the left claims they are for the little guys! Ha their true colors are shinning through with this HC reform or should I say take over of Americans choice when it comes to their body. A choice they only reserve when it comes to killing unborn children.
Again another showing of how the left claims they care about the little guy!
# Braised Cod | January 26th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
The reason that “Cornhusker kickback, Louisiana purchase and Gatoraide” exists is because of the GOP perpetual veto. If it could be passed as an up or down vote, that BS wouldn’t be in the bill. You can’t have it both ways – force the Dems into pork ridden deals then condemn them for it.
—
That is the biggest load of cowmanure I have heard in a long time. The dems have the majority to pass HCR without even one repug vote. The dems have no one to blame but themselves. Nice try though.
haha blaming the repugs for the dems backdoor deals with their own party. hahaha classic
Man, for a party controlling the Presidency and a majority of the House and Senate, you libs sure are angry! You should be happy. Come on, turn those frowns upside down!
Im not so sure they can really do this. It sounds to me like most of these supposed amendments could be ruled out of order under the Byrd rule as either not germane or increasing the deficit. Also, didnt they already try to amend things like the FL and LA provisions in the original Senate debate?
Kill Bill, ’nuff said.
“…a strategy to derail health reform…”
Health reform? The government wants to reform our health?
I think you mean health insurance reform, or more commonly (and inaccurately) health care reform.
Nice move GOP. Stop these loons with whatever works, over amendments right though to the Nov elections. If Dems are going to try to jam this thru, jam it to them. After all of the points of order that will gut the bill, offer 10,000 amendments and grind the Senate to a stand still. Embarrass the Dems every single day, until they start doing what is good for this country and what the American people want. I am really hoping the loony left tries this, will make for some entertaining viewing.