Senate parliamentarian balks on reconciliation?

[bigtree]

March 11, 2010 5:34 PM

Senate Republican sources say the Senate parliamentarian -- who essentially acts as the Senate referee -- has shot down the Democrats' latest strategy for passing a final bill, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen reports.

Democrats were planning on bypassing Republican obstruction -- as well as reaching a compromise on the legislation within their own party -- with a multi-step process: The House would pass the health care bill already approved by the Senate. Then, both the House and Senate would pass a "fix it" bill that would amend the Senate bill. The "fix it" bill would pass the Senate via a process called reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes.

The strategy was complicated from the beginning, but according to Republicans, the Senate parliamentarian is now saying that President Obama would have to sign a health care bill into law before Congress can amend it with a reconciliation measure.

Senate Democrats had no immediate comment on the matter, Nolen reports.

The parliamentarian ruling could foil Democrats' plans to avoid signing into law the "sweetheart deals" that have tainted the Senate bill, such as Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)'s provision that exempts the state of Nebraska from having to pay for any expansion of Medicaid. Democrats are divided over a number of other issues, such as the Senate bill's tax on high-end insurance plans, which they planned to revolve through the reconciliation bill.

Before word of the parliamentarian's decision, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked whether President Obama would sign the bill if it was sent to the White House. Gibbs said today that the White House wanted to wait for the details of the ruling, but also indicated that the president would sign the bill if sent his way.

"I don't see why we wouldn't," Gibbs said.


read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000320-503544.html

[berni_mccoy]

1. V.P. Biden, the President of the Senate, can overrule the parliamentarian.

[bigtree]

2. have you seen anything on that prospect related to this latest 'ruling'?

[berni_mccoy]

13. The V.P.'s ability to overrule is over any ruling the Parliamentarian makes

not just this one.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/Biden_can_overrule_parliamentarian.html?showall

(yes, sorry for the politico link)

[mike_c]

3. government by farce....

This is almost becoming comical. I mean, I'm rooting for the Insurance Profit Protection Act of 2010 to go down in flames-- and take the insurance industry with it-- but OH! The haplessness! It burns us, my precious....

[pscot]

4. We have only Mitch McConnell's word for that

No opinion has been issued in writing and the previous parliamentarian has said it is probably legal, though he had never seen it done. Would Mitch Lie about this? That's not for me to say. David Waldman is looking at this over at Dkos, even as we speak.

[bigtree]

6. thanks for the clarification

. . . no written ruling, just McConnell's word. CBS is playing us.

[pscot]

12. And the Republicons are playing CBS

like a Stradivarius.

[rubberducky]

5. Would it be possible for Obama to make some fixes with signing statements?

[wildflower]

7. But the House and Senate already passed bills last year

Isn't the next step reconciliation regardless? That's what I don't understand. Isn't the argument really a matter of what can go in the reconciliation bill?

[necso]

8. Working the ref. /nt

[Jennicut]

9. Alan Frumin has said nothing publicly himself yet. He is the Senate Parliamentarian.

I think we may be getting played by the GOP.

[elocs]

10. Good show yesterday on MN public radio, talks about the bill & reconciliation:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/03/10/midday1/

It's worth a listen while surfing.

President Obama is in St. Louis drumming up support for his health reform bill and says he wants a Congressional vote within a week. Will health care pass, or die on the vine?
Guests

* Steven Smith: Professor of Political Science and director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis.

[high density]

11. So fire him

Trent Lott had no problem firing the parliamentarian in 2001 when he was saying things he didn't like.