Reconciliation + Lies

Here's something you will hear opponents of health care reform say this week:


They will say no significant legislation has been passed using the reconciliation process.


One of two things is true of people who say this:

1. They have been misled. 
2. They are misleading you.

When the majority party in Congress thinks something is important enough, they may resort to reconciliation to overcome obstructions by the minority party. For example:

• In 1985 a split Congress (Republicans controlled the Senate, Democrats controlled the House) thought uninterrupted health coverage was important enough to pass the COBRA legislation through reconciliation and President Ronald Reagan thought it was important enough to sign it (in spite of a number of flaws, at least some of which were made right in subsequent legislation).
• Majority Republicans thought passing tax cuts was important enough to override the objections of the minority Democrats using reconciliation three times from 2001 to 2008. A big chunk of the current deficit resulted from that level of commitment in the Republican-controlled Congress and President George W. Bush's willingness to sign those bills into law.
• A Democratic-controlled Congress agreed that making college-level education affordable—including regulating abuses in the college loan industry—was important enough to pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act through reconciliation in 2007? The Republican president agree and signed the bill into law. 

Just as they passed a suite of tax cuts through reconciliation no matter how many Americans would be hurt, in the present circumstance, minority Republicans have made it clear in a year of negotiations that they will obstruct health care reform no matter how many Americans will be helped, no matter how much the reform will reduce the federal deficit, no matter how sharp a competitive edge the measure provides to US businesses large and small.


It's about priorities. The Democratic congress and president think these benefits are worth refining and passing in reconciliation for the common good. 


Don't let the ignorant or devious mislead you about this.




image from peterme