Louisville Courier Journal Editorial Urges CONgressional Democrats To "Use Reconciliation" To Pass Healthcare Reform. Read More Below.
Use reconciliation
Thursday's health care summit in Washington served some useful purposes.
Democratic and Republican leaders engaged in a generally civil discussion about public policy, something that happens far too infrequently in the capital these days. Americans who tuned in actually hoping to learn something were offered a rich stew of information and arguments that they should find helpful. It left, at long last, no doubt about where President Obama stands.
What the meeting did not do, however, is move the nation closer to desperately needed health care reform. Indeed, it underscored the unbridgeable differences between Democratic and Republican ideas, and made clear that it is virtually inconceivable that the two parties can arrive at a compromise reform bill that will attract substantial votes in Congress from both parties.
The Democrats' agenda was familiar: extend coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans, end insurance companies' practices of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, create a federal authority to limit premium increases, create exchanges and government subsidies to help Americans obtain insurance, and start the process of slowing the spiraling costs of health care.
Republican proposals seem to start from a wrong-headed assumption that the problems aren't severe. (After all, for six years in the past decade the GOP controlled both the White House and Congress and didn't tackle comprehensive health care reform.) Their small-scale proposals would extend coverage to only a fraction of what the Democrats have in mind, and would do little to help sick people get affordable rates — if they can purchase insurance at all.
The Republicans can, however, prevent the Democrats from getting the 60 votes they would need to halt a filibuster, and the summit again made clear they would do just that. That leaves the Democrats one option — a parliamentary tactic known as reconciliation that allows bills to be passed with a simple Senate majority of 51 votes if each provision has an impact on the federal budget. They should use it.
Reconciliation reflects majority rule — in this instance by a party that has won the last two national elections decisively. It would not shut off meaningful debate; GOP demands for further debate are aimed only at obstruction. There is precedent regarding health insurance — the popular COBRA provision that allows workers to continue their employer-provided insurance after termination stands for the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, and was signed by President Ronald Reagan.
Republicans and reform opponents will be enraged, but politically that doesn't matter. The GOP will run this fall on their opposition to reform anyway. The Democrats will be better off if they can say that they at least did something. More important, the nation will benefit.
Thursday's health care summit in Washington served some useful purposes.
Democratic and Republican leaders engaged in a generally civil discussion about public policy, something that happens far too infrequently in the capital these days. Americans who tuned in actually hoping to learn something were offered a rich stew of information and arguments that they should find helpful. It left, at long last, no doubt about where President Obama stands.
What the meeting did not do, however, is move the nation closer to desperately needed health care reform. Indeed, it underscored the unbridgeable differences between Democratic and Republican ideas, and made clear that it is virtually inconceivable that the two parties can arrive at a compromise reform bill that will attract substantial votes in Congress from both parties.
The Democrats' agenda was familiar: extend coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans, end insurance companies' practices of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, create a federal authority to limit premium increases, create exchanges and government subsidies to help Americans obtain insurance, and start the process of slowing the spiraling costs of health care.
Republican proposals seem to start from a wrong-headed assumption that the problems aren't severe. (After all, for six years in the past decade the GOP controlled both the White House and Congress and didn't tackle comprehensive health care reform.) Their small-scale proposals would extend coverage to only a fraction of what the Democrats have in mind, and would do little to help sick people get affordable rates — if they can purchase insurance at all.
The Republicans can, however, prevent the Democrats from getting the 60 votes they would need to halt a filibuster, and the summit again made clear they would do just that. That leaves the Democrats one option — a parliamentary tactic known as reconciliation that allows bills to be passed with a simple Senate majority of 51 votes if each provision has an impact on the federal budget. They should use it.
Reconciliation reflects majority rule — in this instance by a party that has won the last two national elections decisively. It would not shut off meaningful debate; GOP demands for further debate are aimed only at obstruction. There is precedent regarding health insurance — the popular COBRA provision that allows workers to continue their employer-provided insurance after termination stands for the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, and was signed by President Ronald Reagan.
Republicans and reform opponents will be enraged, but politically that doesn't matter. The GOP will run this fall on their opposition to reform anyway. The Democrats will be better off if they can say that they at least did something. More important, the nation will benefit.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 6:36 PM
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