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The Spectacle Blog
In making the case for ramming through health care legislation via reconciliation, the White House has called for a “simple up-or-down vote.” But as we know, there’s nothing “simple” about the reconciliation process, and as it turns out, House Democrats are plotting to pass a bill without the “up-or-down vote” part either.
As Congress Daily first reported, “House Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter is prepping to help usher the healthcare overhaul through the House and potentially avoid a direct vote on the Senate overhaul bill.” The idea is to use a legislative trick called a “self-executing rule” that would allow House members to approve the reconciliation bill, and consider the Senate bill to have automatically passed, thus avoiding a vote on a bill that’s not only unpopular with the public, but among Democratic House members. For more detail on the tactic, see John Dickerson as well as Daniel Foster (here and here). The scheme, which House Republicans have dubbed the “Slaughter Solution,” would reek of the kind of legislative skullduggery that has been overwhelmingly rejected by the American people in general, and specifically in the Massachusetts Senate race. It’s such a bizarre maneuver that even liberal health care blogger Jonathan Cohn is concerned about its use.
Yet Lynn Woosley, a leader of the House Progressive Caucus, told ABC, “I don’t need to see my colleagues vote for the Senate bill in the House. We don’t like the Senate bill. Why should we be forced to do that?”
Should Democrats decide to go this route, we can add “simple up-or-down vote” to the graveyard of Obama’s broken pledges.
View all comments (28) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/11/what-happened-to-a-simple-up-o
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Clip of the Day
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Nick| 3.11.10 @ 2:28PM
The stinking liberal democrats have a 40 seat majority in the House of Representatives, and still can't get ObamaCare through! Ha-ha-ah-ha!
And yet, the democrat party talking point is how popular their stupid bill is. If it's so popular, why can't you losers pass it?
Come on, bleeding hearts, here's your chance to shine. Explain to all of us knuckle-dragging, right-wing, religious extremists why the democrat controlled House can't muster 50%+1 votes to pass what (you say) a majority of Americans want.
Buh-bye, ObamaCare, buh-buy!
Steve Urkel | 3.11.10 @ 3:10PM
Does this idiot Slaughter woman have any idea what a dangerous precedent this would set? I only hope voters remember all this s*** come November.
Pingback| 3.11.10 @ 3:23PM
Democrats Set To Use Archaic Parliamentary Clause To Pass Healthcare » The Nose On Yo links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
martin j smith| 3.11.10 @ 4:05PM
You cannot trust anything BHO and any Democrat Leader or MSM sycophants say at all. Put simply: LIARS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Houston Rao| 3.11.10 @ 4:37PM
Desperate people resorting to desperate measures to put everyone in a desperate position....
MarkJ| 3.11.10 @ 4:39PM
"In a related story, President Obama announced today that he planned to dispense with 'all that time-wasting and messy stuff like elections' and work with congressional democrats to implement a workable system of governance based upon divine rule."
dollface| 3.11.10 @ 7:17PM
Don't laugh. It happened in Germany. In 1933 the Reichstag voted itself out of existence and gave all power to Hitler. Something about a national "emergency".
higgins1990| 3.12.10 @ 1:33AM
I've been saying this since April 2009 - Obama will find a way to circumvent the 2012 General Election and try to set himself up as President for Life. Laugh at me if you want, I see nothing in this megalomaniac that tells me otherwise.
ZerObama| 3.12.10 @ 3:05PM
Just remember, folks--the Germans didn't have the 2nd Amendment. WE DO!
dollface| 3.11.10 @ 7:15PM
Why are the Democrats so scared of democracy? Are they afraid that if they don't rig the process in their favor they'll lose?
BD57| 3.11.10 @ 7:19PM
So adoption of the rule becomes a vote in favor of the Senate Bill becoming law.
Hard to see why the Dems think this protects them - unless they can make the Senate bill becoming law contingent upon their "fix" bill being adopted by the Senate.
russ in nc| 3.11.10 @ 8:47PM
Texans will lead the way. The Republic of Texas, the Lone Star State, will secede and preserve what remains of the American Experiment. My bags are packed.
Nick| 3.11.10 @ 9:18PM
Russ,
Agreed. Texas looks better and better every day.
Jengis Con| 3.11.10 @ 11:47PM
he might not even carry Illinois...i live in NC and would gladly move to TX...his sing-songy cadence is so frickin' old...not that his speeches were ever good...he's got no game...why is it again that we were supposed to think he's smart...Beavis and/or Butthead speak more fluently...uhhh...uhhh...so you see...i'm a thoughtful....uh...thought...thoughtful leader...Bravo Sierra...screw his birth certificate...i wanna see his grade transcripts...bar application...show us somethin'....he looks good in a suit though don't he?...he's got that goin' for him....yeah, that's it...he looks good in a suit....and without a shirt...yeah, yeah...that's it...pfffft
Sheri| 3.12.10 @ 12:29AM
These Demoncrats are asking for a revolt if they really do this. They might be finding out exactly why some of our Founding Fathers insisted on having the Second Amendment.
higgins1990| 3.12.10 @ 1:36AM
One wonders, when dismal poll numbers, nationwide protests, and losing elections doesn't get the attention of our representatives, at what point do "we the people" take up arms to take back Washington?
otter| 3.12.10 @ 10:16AM
Well, we didn't when GWB was at 30 some percent approval and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were about as popular as a turd in a swimming pool.
What we see right now is fairly significant but not exactly unprecedented.
I don't think it is always the case we want to overthrow the government because the elected president is relatively unpopular or our elected officials may vote differently than public opinion on occasion.
ZerObama| 3.12.10 @ 3:10PM
"Not exactly unprecedented?" Really? How do you figure?
Give ONE example of the Republicans sneaking around behind closed doors in the dead of night in order to take over 1/6 of the American economy? JUST ONE!
Crickets. Traitorous liberal b@stard.
James Madison| 3.12.10 @ 2:37AM
Revolution!!!!!
gebo44| 3.12.10 @ 5:12AM
This healthcare business has now been going on since April of 2009 - almost a whole year while in the mean time American's have been losing jobs, the economy has not rebounded and the only people making money are the wall street bankers whom we the public bailed out. Maybe the Democrats will stop and think about this before casting a vote that has a possibility of starting the 2nd civil war in America. Let the liberals all donate all their money to the national debt that they keep raising with the entitlements.
martin j smith| 3.12.10 @ 7:54AM
I believe that the folks who still support Obama are the following: The idealogical true believers ( in Marxism, Communism ), the "Gimmeeeeezz" they wantsomething for nothing and the country be damned( see Greece )the crony capitalist pigs ( AARP,AMA, SEIU, etc ) and last the every swooning David Brooks types still hanging on BHO's pants creases.
Everyone else I think is out. But. The Republican Party MAY FINALLY PERHAPS MAYBE LEARNING HOPEFULLY PLEASE THATHAT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AS WE KNOW TODAY IS A MARXIST,SOCIALIST,FASCIST,TOTALITARIAN GROUP WHO WILL TRY ANYTHING NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSITUTION OR LAW SAYS. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT LAW OR OUR COUNTRY. ITS POWER PURE AND SIMPLE.
otter| 3.12.10 @ 9:52AM
Up or down vote? Who are they kidding...60% is pure Liberal Fascism!
Zach| 3.12.10 @ 12:27PM
So, in effect, a vote for the rule (which would establish the rules for debate on the Senate bill "fix") is a vote for the Senate Bill. So if, the rule passes (and both houses have therefore "passed" the Senate bill), the Senate Bill can be signed into law at anytime by the president.
Accordingly, even if the "fix" fails to pass the House or the Senate (through reconciliation), the Senate Bill still becomes law if signed.
How does this help, i.e. provide cover for, House members?
Zach| 3.12.10 @ 12:34PM
I see, a vote for the rule is not a vote for the Senate Bill. The rule simply says that a vote for the "fix" implies a "vote" for the Senate Bill.
But, after the "fix" is passed by the House, could the president then sign the "passed" Senate Bill (without the fix)? This still does not seem to provide cover to House members.
Brian| 3.17.10 @ 5:36PM
I'm not even shocked anymore. I'm numb. I'm disgusted, apalled and ashamed...but this is no surprised. Is there a name for the form of government we have today?
Capello| 5.6.10 @ 6:35AM
Kim Kardashian has been getting "death threats" after tweeting she had "Bieber fever" after meeting the teen heartthrob at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
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