Editorial cartoon drawn by Mishele Lamshing
As U.S. Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama continue to review potential options to pass health care legislation, “reconciliation,” also known as the “nuclear option,” is a process that has been suggested as a viable solution.
In the parlance of Congress, reconciliation is where filibuster rules are changed to make passage of a certain bill easier by limiting debate and amendment of that legislation.
Democrats could use reconciliation to pass the proposed health care bill with less than the 60 votes necessary to defeat a filibuster, which Republicans have pledged to do should the bill reach the Senate floor.
As Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed in his address at Obama’s health care summit, this would not be the first time reconciliation has been used to pass a bill.
A Feb. 25 article on Politifact.com said that since 1981 “there have been 22 reconciliation votes, 14 of them by a Republican-controlled Congress.”
While it may be indisputable that Republicans have in fact been more active in pursuing reconciliation than Democrats, this should not be used as a distraction while Democrats get their way with a bill that voters have expressed disapproval for.
But it was Democrats hurling criticisms toward Republicans in 2005 when the GOP wanted to use reconciliation to pass a bill.
Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton stated critically at a press conference, “So (President Bush) has come to the majority here in the Senate, and basically said, ‘Change the rules. Do it the way I want it done.’”
But the hypocrisy did not end there. Reid said of the matter, “The filibuster serves as a check on power and preserves our limited government.”
And now, when it serves his interests, Reid is encouraging use of the option to defeat the filibuster.
Democrats are willfully choosing to ignore the wishes of the American people in regard to an overhaul of the health care system, as they arrogantly attempt to ram an ill-thought bill through the Senate.
Hypocrisy has always been an issue for both political parties at every level of government, but now is not the time to switch ideals simply because it proves beneficial to one party’s agenda.
The desire to use reconciliation only emphasizes the differences between the opposing parties in government. Instead of considering Republican suggestions such as letting insurers sell policies across state lines or providing tax credits to those with insurance, Democrats are taking a “my way or the highway” approach.
Elected officials who put their own interests ahead of their constituents’ need to seriously re-examine their priorities while they still can. They may not get a second chance.
Patrick Levy is a communication freshman and may be reached at [email protected]
