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WILL HEALTH REFORM, CAP AND TRADE, AND EDUCATION ALL HAPPEN IN ONE BILL?
One more tidbit from Senator Conrad's conference call. According to Conrad, the reconciliation process is structured such that if you included instructions on more than one priority -- say, both cap and trade and health reform, or cap and trade and health reform and education -- "you'd have to write the legislation as one bill." The Committee reports assigned by the reconciliation instructions would be returned to the Budget Committee, stapled together into an omnibus package, and go to the floor of the Senate as a single entity. And if you think health reform will be hard, imagine piling it on top of cap and trade and education.
COMMENTS (2)
Maybe you are wrong. If you are Carl Levin do you vote for a resolution that includes both cap and trade which auto companies/unions dislike and also health care reform which auto companies/unions do like. We only need 50 votes here and there is a party unity element to this. If they did this it would be a huge victory for Obama. His skill at passing big things through congress would be beyond dispute. That would obviously be good for Dems in 2010 and 2012.
Posted by: Craig | March 30, 2009 11:12 AM
Well, that would certainly get some media/public attention, as well as clog some vital arteries in GOP folks - leading to strokes and seizures right there on the Senate floor.
[rubs hands together] Bring It On!
A legislative SuperNova!
Actually, it might lead to an easier bill to pass, rather than harder. It would be very hard for any Dem to vote no on the total package. And the Repubs would have great trouble getting all the elephants and morons to stay together and vote no on such a package of vitals and goodies mixed together.
Of course wails of anguish would issue forth (like grounded teens) from the opponents, which will include most of the media railing against fascism.
I'd enjoy it. I can't think of a better way to enter the 2010 elections than the entire Dem platform being rejected/obstructed by naysayers.
Posted by: JimPortlandOR | March 30, 2009 11:14 AM