House Panel Paves Way for 'Nuclear Option' in Health Care Reform Bill

[Zoom-boing]

A key House committee on Thursday quietly altered its health care legislation in a way that could allow the Senate to mow over Republican opposition to Democratic reforms by exploiting a budgetary loophole.

The Ways and Means Committee adjusted its health care overhaul package so that the Senate, down the road, could avoid a filibuster and pass health care reform with a smaller number of votes than normally required.

The long-discussed process, nicknamed the "nuclear option," is known as reconciliation. It's coming into potential play after the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday became the last of five committees to approve health care reform legislation, sending the overhaul proposals a big step closer to the president's desk. Before it gets there, though, the bill has to pass from the committees to the floors of the House and Senate.

Under the normal process, senators can filibuster almost anything and the debate would only be cut off if at least 60 lawmakers vote to do so. For that reason, 60 is considered the magic number in the quest to pass health care reform out of the Senate.

But under reconciliation, typically used in the budget process, no filibusters are permitted and a bill can pass with just a simple majority.

House Panel Paves Way for 'Nuclear Option' in Health Care Reform Bill - Political News - FOXNews.com

 

[Elutherian]

They're gonna nuke healthcare? Damn.

But to be serious, this shit is going through whether we want it or not. All I know is I'm going to refuse to get Obamacare... if they arrest me, then so be it. It just proves they're the tyrants we say they are.