Frist On Using Reconciliation Process To Pass Health Care Reform: ‘It’s Legal, It’s Ethical’
Frist On Using Reconciliation Process To Pass Health Care Reform: ‘It’s Legal, It’s Ethical’
On May 1, Congress passed President Obama’s budget, which included language allowing for the use of the budget reconciliation process to pass health care reform with a simple majority in the Senate. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said any use of budget reconciliation by Obama would be “regarded as an act of violence” against Republicans, and likened it to “running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River.” Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) made similar remarks, while Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) called reconciliation a “purely partisan exercise.”
But at least one Republican recognizes that the use of reconciliation — while rare — is not unprecedented or unethical, let alone “an act of violence.” On Bill Bennett’s radio show yesterday morning, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said of budget reconciliation: “It’s legal, it’s ethical, you can do it.” Further, Frist said that he believed Obama would be able to get a health care package passed this year:
BENNET: We just had Bill Kristol on. He said he’s got real doubts that [Obama] will be able to pull [health care reform] off. Bottom line, Do you think they can?
FRIST: Nah, I think Bill’s wrong. I think they’ll pull it off. … You can drive things through a fifty vote threshold, instead of that sixty vote threshold. And you don’t do it maybe one out of a thousand bills do you do it on. But it’s legal, it’s ethical, you can do it. And it has been suggested and accepted by the administration, pretty directly that if it came down to it, they’re going to drive this thing through a fifty-vote door. And if they do that…they can pass whatever they want to. I hope that they don’t do that.
Listen here:
Frist’s “hope” that the budget reconciliation process is not used is actually fairly close to what the Hill characterizes as “the mainstream Democratic view: a bipartisan agreement [on health care] is preferable, but they’re willing to revert to reconciliation if necessary.” Indeed, as Howard Dean explained at the America’s Future Now conference earlier this month, “Democrats should have ‘no intention’ of working with Republicans if it’s not the strongest possible legislation that could be passed with a simple majority.” More bluntly, Dean remarked, “If Republicans want to shill for insurance companies, then we should do it with 51 votes.”
Similarly, former President Bill Clinton explained in a meeting with a group of progressive bloggers yesterday that the priority should not be garnering Republican support at the expensive of effective universal coverage:
If he can’t get a bill that’s genuine universal coverage, that genuinely is going to cut costs and make health insurers give up some of these unbelievable administrative burdens that they’ve put on people, and that really gets to the guts of the delivery system and does more primary preventive care and actually measures things that work, then I would go for the 51.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
OMG, honest discourse!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:07 amKudos to Bill Frist for expressing the same views about reconciliation (it’s legal, it’s ethical) that he had when the Republicans were using it to get legislation passed. Now if we could just get some Republican Senators who are currently serving to recognize the hypocrisy of supporting reconciliation when it benefits them and blasting it when it doesn’t.
I would prefer to see some real bipartisanship in play with the health insurance situation — which both parties agree cannot be left the way it currently is. But since the minority party is unwilling to work in that manner, and would prefer to obstruct any progress whatsoever, reconciliation appears to be the only way to get anything done.
That, and making sure both houses are at least three quarters Democrat as a result of the 2010 elections.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:11 amInteresting…Now we have old frist the cat killer and video health expert raising his evil head….What’s up with that.?..P.B. & J
June 17th, 2009 at 11:12 amThis, from the idjit who diagnosed Teri Schiavo via videotape.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:12 amIt’s time that US comes out of the dark ages of medical entitlement and joins a world that believes it’s people shouldn’t be sacrificed on the altar of powerful insurance companies
June 17th, 2009 at 11:19 amI don`t see any bipartisanship at all and the Blue Dog Dems are beginning to be a pain in my backside,as it stands not to many folks are repudiating the fact that the public option is in fact an option and is not mandatory.I will gladly pay for a public option in taxes vs my current BC/BS thru payroll deduction because a public option will not have the overhead that private and non profits have.I stopped going to the doctor because my deductible for my family is $4500 a year,I only use it for my wife and kid.I pay $300 a month and don`t get any wellness or preventive care whatsoever.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:19 amI wondered what the R’s called it all those times they used it on the Dem’s?
June 17th, 2009 at 11:22 amPhuck the GOP!!!, the Dems should just go ahead and pass the health care reform bill using the budget reconciliation process. Why would anyone “trust” and “wait” on the sorry a$$ party of “no?”
June 17th, 2009 at 11:24 amWhy isn’t health insurance set up like car insurance? Your car insurance rates go down if you don’t get any tickets or file claims against your policy. So why isn’t the health industry offering the same type of coverage to people that stay healthy and never use their coverage?
June 17th, 2009 at 11:30 amBill Frist “diagnosed” Terry Schiavo via videotape , and he’s attempting to speak on what’s legitimate ?
Yeah , way to go , dummy…….
June 17th, 2009 at 11:31 amSen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said any use of budget reconciliation by Obama would be “regarded as an act of violence” against Republicans
There it is…..the reptilian brain at work again….
FEAR, ANGER AND VIOLENCE is all they capable of processing!!!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:34 amIt’s funny to watch the man who threatened to change 200 years of Senate rules by implementing the nuclear option in order to pass anything BushCo wanted say he hopes the Dems don’t pass the president’s agenda using a simple majority.
Hypocrisy, thy name is GNOP.
PEACE
June 17th, 2009 at 11:37 amLest we forget, the health care / insurance industry OWNS Congress. Both sides of the aisle.
That’s why a single payer system isn’t even being whispered in the hallowed halls of congrescritters.
Max Baucas even had people in Montana calling for his resignation over the lack of a true public option.
This is the tipping point, folks. We need to make as much noise as possible to deflect corporate money buying influence in Congress.
Tell your Senators, tell your Representatives. Hell, tell your Mother, but tell SOMEONE you support single payer.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:37 am…and remember, the only person(s) currently standing between you and your Doctor are ELECTED OFFICIALS.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:39 amReconciliation or no, we’re STILL going to get shafted with a bill crafted, paid for, and primarily helping, the insurance industry.
We’re not going to see HR676 or similar single-payer legislation in the coming decades; Pres. Obama’s public-private plan is the best we can hope for. (and i get the distinct feeling that I’ll be screwed under that one, too)
June 17th, 2009 at 11:40 am“…likened it to “running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River”
That is exactly what the Republics did to the Democrats for the first six years of Bush’s term.
I don’t want a bi-partisan bill. Because if it’s bi-partisan it will not contain a public option. My future health care is riding on what they do here and I don’t want to be forced to pay into the for-profit health insurance racket. As long as they are operating at a 40% overhead (so they can pay the million dollar salaries to their executives) any for-profit system is going to be a waste of resources and dollars.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:42 amThat’s GREAT news. If Bill Kristol says it won’t pass that is almost a guarantee that it will!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:43 amspencers mom Says:
It’s funny to watch the man who threatened to change 200 years of Senate rules….
Actually, it hasn’t even been 100 years. On the other hand, I find the filibuster to be very undemocratic and think that it should be abolished. The biggest mistake the Democrats have ever made was in not pushing the Republics to “nuke” the filibuster.
President Woodrow Wilson urged the Senate to change its rules to thwart what he called a “little group of willful men”, to which the Senate responded by introducing cloture in the form of Rule 22 on March 8, 1917
June 17th, 2009 at 11:47 amBilbo, I stand corrected. In the heat of passion, I become very trollish – ignore facts, avoid research to make my point!
PEACE
June 17th, 2009 at 11:51 amA simple majority vote is legal & ethical. Thanks for clarifying, Dr. Frisky.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:03 pm‘…“regarded as an act of violence” against Republicans, and likened it to “running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River.’
Works for me!
June 17th, 2009 at 12:07 pmDarn right, Bilbo. People made clear that republicans had no new ideas when they went to the polls. And the republicans aren’t proving anybody wrong, either. The old guard wants this vital legislation to become a number’s game. A public option is the only option that will work.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:08 pmChickenbone Bill Says:
Why isn’t health insurance set up like car insurance? Your car insurance rates go down if you don’t get any tickets or file claims against your policy. So why isn’t the health industry offering the same type of coverage to people that stay healthy and never use their coverage?
I haven’t had a ticket in over 20 years and I end up changing insurance for my car every 6 months because they raise my rates. And I actually get a cut in the rate only if I change companies.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:09 pmAccusing someone of an “act of violence” for the use of normal parliamentary procedure strikes me itself as being a threat of violence. This reminds me of Ted Steven’s conniption fit when they were going to de-fund his private bridge.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:12 pmSitting here in a household full of uninsured and future uninsurable people based on cost and/or pre-existing conditions the choices are scary and stark. Without a public option that is portable and affordable Obama and the Dems will lose three male, working, 55 year old males in future elections. We are contibuting members of this country and gave hundreds for regime change and a healthier country: mentally, morally and physically. If we don’t see some results with this Congress we can only say to the gatekeepers, ” Look the hell out!” We are paying attention.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:20 pmWho asked Bill Frist anything?? Didn’t he get run out of town on a rail?? Isn’t he globally disgraced for being a jerk?
You gotta ask yourself…who really cares WHAT Bill Frist thinks OR says..??
June 17th, 2009 at 12:58 pmFrist is one of the rare members who acknowledge that the Republicans used the reconciliation process to run over Dems. Now the Republicans are unhappy about this prospect. The Dems need to use it to teach the Republicans a lesson. But I doubt it will have any effect on the Republicans because given the chance they will do it again.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:47 pmIt seems, no matter how hard people try to humor the Repulsicans, they keep calling every one traitor, UnAmerican, Unpatriotic and I for one, am getting sick of it. I really don’t believe these people can or want to live in harmony with anyone. I adamantly disapprove of their existance on this planet, since, it seems that all they want to do is rob,rape,kill and plunder this fragile planet and it’s occupiers.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:41 pmRead ALTERNET today!!!!
This is of great and pressing importance. It is one thing which is missing in TP since ObaOba took office…
Shame: The ‘Anti-War’ Democrats Who Sold Out
ALTERNET
June 17th, 2009 at 4:31 pmWhy do I get the feeling that we’re all being played to insure we get stuck with a bill that doesn’t solve the problem while it insures increased health insurance profits?
republicans never come out weak on any issue. They just don’t care what public opinion is when it comes to the bottom line; all they need is the slightest weak-ass reasoning to use as an excuse and accept that as being sufficient political cover.
Frist is laying out the basic plan of attack that will be used to pass a bill containing a “Public Option” that leaves private insurance companies in place to rake in additional profits through a mandated coverage. It’s something the Dem’s will gradually come on board with.
More bluntly, Dean remarked, “If Republicans want to shill for insurance companies, then we should do it with 51 votes.”
Pardon me, Mr. Dean, but what should we do with the Congressional Democrats who are shilling for insurance comapanies?
June 17th, 2009 at 8:13 pmExcuse me. If someone wants to check how often the Republicans used reconciliation for Bush I would bet my back fillings it was often. In fact I think I will check. Someone mentioned it a few weeks ago, but I listened with half an ear.
Bill Frist. The doctor who diagnosed Terri Shavio from a ten minute film on the floor of the Senate who had never examined her. He claimed she was alive and a feeling, thinking entity, and that her eyes followed the movements of others from across the room. And when the autopsy was done, half her brain was gone and the other half had holes.
The Bill Frist whose family is worth millions in the area of nursing homes and pharmaceuticals. Boy if this idiot is practicing medicine, I hope his patients know what he is. Gee Bill, can you say mal practice insurance? Rather then listen to this idiot, I will take my chances with a witch doctor and the entrails of a chicken.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:39 pmFirst! I remember you, you will say anything to increase the profit margins of your family owned HMOs. You guys should rename your health entities to Hazardous+Malfiesence Organization.
June 18th, 2009 at 1:04 pmThank you..
Sesli Chat
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:26 amSesli Sohbet
Sesli Chat
Sesli Sohbet
Seslikent
SesliChat
SesliSohbet