Major problem in the “fixer” bill may make reconciliation impossible

This is from Sen. McConnell’s page:

Breaking: “Fix” Bill May Not Advance In Senate

Senate Democrats Refuse Bi-partisan Meeting With Parliamentarian Until After House Votes

WASHINGTON DC - Senate Democrats have balked at a bi-partisan meeting with the Senate Parliamentarian to discuss a rule violation that could doom the entire House reconciliation proposal.

DON STEWART, McCONNELL SPOKESMAN: “Republicans have been trying to set up a meeting with Senate Democrats since yesterday to discuss this fatal point of order but have been met with nothing but silence. We suspect Democrats are slow walking us so as to have the House vote first. Since Senate Democrats refuse to meet with us and the Parliamentarian, we’ve informed our colleagues in the House that we believe the bill they’re now considering violates the clear language of Section 310g of the Congressional Budget Act, and the entire reconciliation bill is subject to a point of order and rejection in the Senate should it pass the House.”

Let’s assume that the problem described here is real. If the Democrats continue to ignore this problem and pass the bill, and if the entire sidecar bill gets thrown out in the Senate, as in violation of the reconciliation rules, that will leave the House members looking like idiots, as they deserve, but it won’t help us, because the bill will have become law with or without the sidecar bill.

But (again, assuming that there there is something to the Republican claim), if the House Democratic members stop and look at this problem, they may decide against passing the bill. Or—more likely—they may all act like Bart Stupak. Having now done enough to “show their good intentions” in supporting the fixes, they will go ahead and vote for the bill.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 21, 2010 05:03 PM | Send