Posted by
Defend America on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 4:12:12 PM
If
congressional Democrats decide to pass fixes to the Senate health care
bill through reconciliation, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent
Conrad (D-N.D.) is one of the most important people to bring on board
with the plan.
But Conrad threw some doubt Wednesday on the plan that House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi has been pushing, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
has indicated he could accept -- to pass the sidecar reconciliation
bill with the fixes before the House takes up the Senate bill, as a way
to mollify House members who strongly oppose the more conservative
Senate measure.
Conrad, who has been open to reconciliation as long as the fixes are
limited, said the order must be reversed. The House must pass the
Senate bill first -- before either chamber considers the reconciliation
package, he said.
"I don't know of any way, I don't know of any way where you can have
a reconciliation bill pass before the bill that it is meant to
reconcile passes," said Conrad, who would be a central figure on the
Senate floor if Democrats embark on the complicated process. "I don't
know how you would deal with the scoring. I don't know how I could look
you in the eye and say this package reduces the deficit. It's kind of
got the cart before the horse."
When reminded that House Democrats don't want to do health care in that order, Conrad said bluntly: "Fine, then it's dead."
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0210/Conrad_Reform_dead_unless_House_passes_Senate_bill_first.html?showall