A source just called to report that the Democrats in the House met on Friday to discuss their options with the healthcare reform bill. With the recent election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the Democrats no longer have a filibuster free Senate. The remaining option would be for House members to hold their nose and pass the Senate bill as it stands with the idea that the bill can be fixed later in a process called reconciliation through the use of a sidecar bill.
On Tuesday, House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said that passing the Senate version was clearly better than doing nothing, and he went on to say that the fix (or sidecar bill) could be passed within 15 days, presumably less time than it will take to seat Brown. This appears to be the last best chance that Congress has to pass this piece of legislation. In the meantime, we are being told that there are not enough votes for the House to pass the bill. Could it be that this gambit is designed to get activists to sit on their hands? Don’t do it! Before they play this behind the scenes maneuver, call your Congressman and tell him or her that you are aware of this plan. Tell them not to sidestep the will of the people. This may be your last best chance to stop this bill.
Right, a call to my Congrssman would really help. I am really laughing out loud at that one. My Congressman is Sanford Bishop and he will do anything that Obama and Pelosi tell him to do.
LOL, Sanford Bishop doing the right thing for his constituents…OMG that is really hilarious! He has no problem sidesteping the will of the people he shows that to us over and over again. Bishop is a puppet to Obama and Pelosi.
Thanks for the laugh Bill, but maybe a call to the other House Members might be in order.
Bill, its beginning to appear, they may lack the votes to adopt the Senate version. Leadership rhetoric aside – I think more rank and file Democratic congress-critters got the message from Massachusetts than is being admitted.
I think there is an outside chance that healthcare may have to be rebooted. The real tell with be the President’s State of the Union address on Wednesday. If he really puts the sell job on bipartisan support, I think its a signal, they lack the votes.
They’ve ignored bipartisan participation until now. But even token Republican participation will make HC more palatable and defendable, for moderate Democrat congress-critters and Senators to vote for it.
It looks like the wheels are coming off the Democrat healthcare wagon. The administration is disoriented. The honeymoon is over and he doesn’t know whether to play to his base or to moderates. I predict a really watered-down new HC bill which isn’t reform at all, but instead is an insignificant adjustment, weak enough for even Republicans to vote for. In other words, a political face-saving bill. Dems will then be able to claim bipartisanship. The Dem base won’t be happy. They will see it as surrender when they had the upper hand.
Just my $0.02.
Debra, I know that you are right but people outside of the 2nd Congressional District read this blog. Notice that I didn’t say to call Bishop.
Cartman, I hope that you are correct. I thought that the wheels were coming off too. Glenn Beck had some audio clips from law makers taken over the weekend. “Trying to figure out the best path forward” “See if we can get something done” and “The President will fight for the American people even if it is unpopular” are clips that they just played. I want to let my guard down, but that is when we lose. I heard that FreedomWorks was making a press release about this subject today at noon, but I have not seen it yet.
I saw Becks clips as well. We shall see what is in store for all of us tonight with the State of the Union. Right now, in my opinion, the state of our Union is not very sound. Let’s hope we hear something positive; however, I have a gut feeling that we will only hear more of the same from a person in an empty suit. He will placate to the liberals, try to appease and recapture some of the moderates, and just simply tick off the conservatives. After reading about all the infighting among the democratic leaders, it appears as though he will succumb to their wishes, and to hell with what the majority of Americans want.