Sen. Byrd Stopped Clinton from Using Reconciliation for Clinton's health care bill

"President Clinton got on the phone and called me also and pressed me to allow his massive health care bill to be insulated by reconciliation's protection."
"I felt that changes as dramatic as the Clinton health care package, which would affect every man, woman, and child in the United States should be subject to scrutiny. I said Mr. President, I cannot in good conscience turn my face the other way. That's why we have a Senate to amend and debate . . . That health bill, as important as it is, is so complex, so far reaching, that the people of this country need to know what is in it, and more over Mr. President we Senators need to know what is in it. And he accepted that. "

Senator Schumer moves to try to end filibusters

Apparently using reconciliation wasn't enough for the Democrats.

With Democrats lacking a filibuster-proof majority, Sen. Chuck Schumer plans to begin holding hearings to reform the potent stalling tactic, an issue that has picked up steam among liberal and junior Democratic senators.

The hard-charging New Yorker, who chairs the Rules and Administration Committee, plans to move forward with a hearing on March 24 after discussing the issue with Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.), two men who have grown concerned with the increased use of filibuster threats to derail legislative business, an aide said Tuesday.

The first hearing is expected to examine the history of the filibuster, with Senate historians testifying before the committee. The following hearings will likely focus on specific filibuster reform proposals that have been offered by Udall, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and other senators. The aide said there will be at least three hearings on the issue.

With their agenda stalled and Democrats one vote shy of the 60 needed to break filibusters, Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated that Republicans have demanded that many pieces of legislation require a supermajority of senators to advance. Democrats acknowledge they lack the votes to reform the filibuster, but are eager to argue that the procedural tool has been abused to an unprecedented level in recent years.

Schumer's move comes after his potential rival for the majority leader spot, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), has recently signed onto Harkin's bill to reform the filibuster and has advocated more aggressive tactics to put a spotlight on the GOP's dilatory acts. Some may view the senators' latest efforts as ways to score points with Senate Democrats frustrated by seeing bills die in the upper chamber and eager for more aggressive leadership. . . .

Obama noting that he is not going to pass a government takeover of health care with a "fifty plus one strategy"

Democratic Senators back away from "vows" to oppose reconciliation for health care bill

Evan Bayh has gone from vowing to oppose reconciliation in January to been open to using it now.

Similarly for Ben Nelson who warned against reconciliation and now is also open to using it now.

Robert Byrd on using Reconciliation to pass Health Care

Using reconciliation to pass health care is an "abomination," according to Senator Robert Byrd, the author of the Byrd rule.


UPDATE: Other Democrats seem to agree:

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) threw cold water on the idea of using the reconciliation process Sunday during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation program."

"Reconciliation can not be used to pass comprehensive health care reform," said Conrad, who is the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "The major package would not be done through reconciliation."

Asked by host Bob Scheiffer to elaborate, given that the White House suggested earlier Sunday that they could pass the main bill with a simple majority of 51 votes, Conrad said thaat reconciliation was not, in fact, an option.

"I am the chairman of the committee in the Senate and I think I understand how reconciliation works and can't work," he said, arguing that the so-called Byrd Rule would prevent the use of reconciliation for the main health care bill. "The only possible role I can see for reconciliation would be to make modest changes in the major package."

Conrad said only "side car" issues could be affected through the reconciliation process. . . .