House Panel Paves Way for 'Nuclear Option' in Health Care Reform Bill

House Panel Paves Way for 'Nuclear Option' in Health Care Reform Bill

www.foxnews.com

A key House committee on Thursday quietly altered its health care legislation in a way that could allow the Senate to mow over Republican opposition to Democratic reforms by exploiting a budgetary loophole.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The long-discussed process, nicknamed the "nuclear option," is known as reconciliation. It's coming into potential play after the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday became the last of five committees to approve health care reform legislation, sending the overhaul proposals a big step closer to the president's desk. Before it gets there, though, the bill has to pass from the committees to the floors of the House and Senate.

Under the normal process, senators can filibuster almost anything and the debate would only be cut off if at least 60 lawmakers vote to do so. For that reason, 60 is considered the magic number in the quest to pass health care reform out of the Senate.

But under reconciliation, typically used in the budget process, no filibusters are permitted and a bill can pass with just a simple majority.

Structuring the health care bill in this way allows it to be scooped up in the reconciliation process, which could torpedo the Republicans' trump card.

"The secret of the week is that Democrats pulled the trigger on the nuclear option," warned Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., top Republican on the House budget committee and a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. "They built their vehicle today."

The purpose of this thread is not a pro- or con- healthcare reform.

Instead, I would like to know if anyone else has a problem with this administration "exploiting a loophole" in order to circumvent the normal voting procedures, and instead allow only a small majority to vote and pass this bill.

If this is the definition of a transparent government -- one that is going to bend the rules as they see fit in order to pass whatever legislation they want - in this case healthcare - then I should think an abuse of power argument isn't too far away.

Is this the change we wanted - that we expected? Where are the normal checks and balances put in place?

Is it not unconstitutional to simply use loopholes to an administration's benefit whenever it sees fit? As I read the loophole used here - I certainly see where it could be applied to other legislation in the future.

Again, this is not about whether or not your agree with healthcare reform. But rather, it is about whether or not you think it is OK to utilize loopholes and to corcumvent the normal democratic procedures in order to advance the current administration's agenda.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Edit to add: I would also like to remind people that AIG used a previously undiscovered loophole to pay out those billion dollar bonuses last winter. I believe 'outrage' is a good way to sum up the general consensus on that loophole. This loophole is set to cost $829B. Are we outraged -- or this what is necessary to "better the American way of life"?

Should we break the rules in order to prevent the Republicans from having any say?

[edit on 16-10-2009 by lpowell0627]

Using tricks and loopholes to circumvent the passage of a bill of this magnitude, on that effects the entire population and has a large percentage against the subject of the bill is absolutely wrong.

If they do such a thing, I think that We the People should consider a Nuclear Option of our own. That is, Nuke DC and all the pant loads in Congress with actual nuclear weapons. Sure the loss of the innocent would be heavy and regrettable, but it beats to alternative...taking it up the rear like the funny business over the 16th Amendment and creation of the Federal Reserve.

I mean why have rules of law if they are going to be willfully broken every time Washington get a hot # idea?

reply to post by Ahabstar


This is paving the way for an unconstitutional power grab. Any legislation that this administration wants to get passed, can, by completely circumventing the laws specifically put in place to prevent such a thing.

I don't think obama's worried about the constitution as it is today, I mean did he say awhile back that the constitution needs to be rewritin? If, if he goes with this nuclear option an he gets away with it, then it'll open the door for him to do what ever he wants.

I swear, if there was a handbook teaching step by step how to push a country into a revolution this man is following it!

Americans do not like to be bullied.

I don't think we should nuke them, we should be better than that right? But too words do come to mind if these guys are going to be this blatant about abusing their power.

Those words are "civil disobedience." If things are going to get this out of hand, then we need to stand up and say "enough is enough", and tell them to do this fairly or not at all, and if they keep it up and slam this through, then we should ignore it like it never got passed. Then again, the FEMA camps might be here in case of that.

I would have advocated Neutron Bomb, but feel that being a decent person and actually having a soul is necessary to be considered life. Blame endisneigh for the photo-realistic avatar for the inspiration.


As for civil disobedience, I'd lean more to an old fashioned horse-whipping or tar and feathering as making a better point.

[edit on 16-10-2009 by Ahabstar]

Actually, civil disobedience is a great idea on this one. when 100 people fail to get insurance or pay their fine, then they get hauled to jail. When EVERYONE fails to get insurance or pay their fine, they change the laws.

If we threaten with nukes, they can blame a nuke false flag on us. So bad idea...but tar and feather? Funny as hell.

TPTB are already trying to spin the possible revolution like we're the evil guys and they're the innocent people getting picked on. Shows you how hard they'll fight back, so let's on fight if we HAVE to.