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Democrats Will Skip Formal Health Care Conference

Aim to prevent procedural hurdles thrown up by GOP in Senate

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 4, 2010 9:20 AM CST
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(Newser) – Democrats are “almost certain” to avoid a formal conference to reconcile the House and Senate health care bills, senior Capitol Hill sources say, thereby robbing Senate Republicans of yet more opportunities to stall the bill. If Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi convened a formal conference, there would need to be a series of special motions in the Senate, each with full debate, which the GOP would use to delay the inevitable.

“I think the Republicans have made our decision for us,” a Senate staffer tells the New Republic, because Mitch McConnell has signaled that the GOP will throw up whatever procedural hurdles it can. “It’s time for a little ping-pong.” Ping-pong is an informal negotiation method in which the chambers send the bill back and forth until they hit a draft they agree on.

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Richard Durbin talk with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Dec. 9, 2009.
Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Richard Durbin talk with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Dec. 9, 2009.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 47 comments
Fondue
Jan 5, 2010 12:27 PM CST
Meme or reality? See hybrid's response. 5 Noes. And guess what else NO ideas.
godawgs
Jan 5, 2010 5:14 AM CST
you probably want see this but here is video of Harry Reid in 2006 berating the shit he just did...hypocrite http://hotair.com/archives/201.../
godawgs
Jan 5, 2010 5:12 AM CST
@ron well medicare can't be working all that well if we have one 550 billion of waste that we can just cut out of it. It is also one of the least accepted forms of insurance in the country right up there with $6 month stuff you can buy on TV. This grand thought that medicare is so wonderful and working is a play by the left to help push the county toward a government run medical system. They brag about medicare and leave out all of the dr's that don't take it because of the reimbursement rates. they rave about the VA and leave out the number of people that still can't get what they want or need because it is too expensive,and they never mention Indian Services because they know that piece of shit system would blow everything for them. It reminds of how the supermax prisons were to inhumane for prisoners before GITMO, now the left thinks that the Supermax's are are these vacation prisons. that and once this bill is passed we are stuck with it. there will be no changing so we shouldn't fuck it up the first time. quit rushing this shit through to have something to talk about at the state of the union or the next msnbc special.

 
Nancy Pelosi • health care • Democrats • Harry Reid • health care reform • conference

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