Reconciling Reconciliation

The Republican fear mongering machine has had a busy week. The GOP has been no stranger to re-inventing history as of late (e.g. Cheney's alternative history of the Bush policy on prosecuting terrorists) but as the President clearly favors using Budget Reconciliation to finish the Health Care Reform Act - we are seeing the Republican hypocrisy in full force.

If you have been watching Cable News, CSPAN or reading anything in the newspaper, based on what Republicans are saying, you would think that the use of Budget Reconciliation was some shady, sketchy socialist scheme that would undermine the fabric of our Democracy and it's "hardly ever been done."

In fact, Fox News has completely stopped referring to it as Reconciliation, but as something completely different; Nuclear Option. Again, I repeat - something COMPLETELY different. The only similarity between the two is that both methods would require a very democratic simple majority to pass legislation. However, Budget Reconciliation is actually quite common. It has been used 22 different times for major legislation since 1981, and a stunning 15 times by REPUBLICANS.
Oh Fox News; "Fair & Balanced."

And just a brief recap on Republican use of Reconciliation; The two tax cuts by Bush that mostly benefited the wealthy and increased the deficit by two trillion dollars - yeah that was done by Reconcilation. And Mitch McConnell; no I'm sorry that was not a largely bi-partisan plan, they were both done on party lines and the Vice President had to act as the tie breaker. Not to mention COBRA, Welfare Reform, SCHIP, Medicare Reform and Student Loan Reform. This is nothing new. And for Republicans to be lining up in front of cameras claiming that its something horrible for the country that threatens democracy.....it's just beyond hypocritical.

In 2003, Republican Eric Cantor (currently the House Minority Whip) said, "Reconciliation is a process that I hope we can engage in every year."

Republican Senator Judd Gregg claims that it's bad policy and somehow "railroads Congress." Except in 2005 he was defending the use of Reconciliation to Democrat Opposition claiming "it's a Senate Rule" and all that we would be doing is "passing legislation via a Majority Rule." He continues, "Anything wrong with majority rule? I don't think so."

John McCain, apparently trying to reconcile Republican past uses of Reconciliation went on to say that yes it has been used in the past, but it should never be used for Entitlements as it is just "too important." Except he voted yes on Reconciliation Legislation on Entitlements in 1989 and in 2005. So where does the hypocrisy end with these guys and how is it that they get away with this?

And I agree with Judd Gregg circa 2003- nothing is wrong with majority rule. That what a democracy is! That's why we have elections. This climate in Washington IS something new. The necessity to have a supermaority to pass ANY legislation in the Senate as the Republicans have tripled the record for the use of filibuster in a single year. They have blocked even low level appointees just for the sake of stalling Senate business, and then eventually confirming these people.

When either side is elected as a majority party, it is their turn to GOVERN. That's what they were elected to do. And preventing the Senate from doing any business at all based on lack of a super majority is something that will prevent this country from greatness.

Now that hopefully we've dispelled some of the lies and revisionist history on Reconciliation (and not the "Nuclear Option")let's clear something else up.

CONGRESS IS NOT GOING TO PASS HEALTH CARE WITH RECONCILIATION!! You can't even do that. You see, Budget Reconciliation is indeed that. Reconciling budget issues. You can't do Insurance Reform, Torte Reform etc via Reconciliation.

Both houses of Congress have already passed Health Care Reform. The House passed it with a simple majority and the Senate passed it on Christmas Eve with a super majority. What will happen now is the House will vote on the Senate version of the bill and if passed, they will use Reconciliation to amend some of the differences between the bills.

So, now let's hope that this gets passed, and we can have Universal Health Care that Massachusetts already has - which the people love and Scott Brown voted for and Mitt Romney signed into law.