With President Barack Obama “set to green-light the use of reconciliation to pass health care legislation, Senate Republicans are preparing to wage a unified floor and message war to block this 51-vote strategy — and lay the groundwork for what they hope will be big electoral gains in November,” Roll Call reports.
Senate Republicans have already set the messaging component in motion, saying reconciliation would subvert the will of the American people. Still under development is the legislative strategy, which Republicans hope will tie the majority party in knots and force vulnerable Democrats to take politically damaging votes — if it doesn’t derail reconciliation altogether.
To maintain this blockade “in the face of a Democratic reconciliation bill, the Republican floor strategy would hinge on proposing endless amendments and raising as many budget points of order as possible.”
Republicans believe these tactics could tie up the Senate floor for several weeks and force Democrats to take multiple votes that would be difficult to defend in the midterm elections.
Under reconciliation — and unlike with a normal bill — “Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) cannot prevent Members from proposing as many amendments as they want, as long as the proposals are germane.”
They plan to take similar actions in committee if necessary.
Additionally, any reconciliation vehicle might have to go through either the Finance Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee or the Budget Committee — or two out of the three. That would further extend the process at a time when Democrats want to focus on jobs and the economy.
Republican operatives say GOP Senators on any of those committees would replicate the minority’s floor strategy during deliberations required to report out a reconciliation bill.
Democrats are adjusting their messaging efforts as well.
The president is scheduled to announce on Wednesday his next moves for health care reform, and reconciliation is expected to be a part of the mix. However, Congressional Democrats — perhaps preparing a messaging war of their own — are now shying away from the term reconciliation, instead referring it as a “majority vote” strategy.
(credit image – reuters)
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