Comments on: Blue Dog Dems Reach House Health Agreement http://donklephant.com/2009/07/29/blue-dog-dems-reach-house-health-agreement/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Nick Benjamin http://donklephant.com/2009/07/29/blue-dog-dems-reach-house-health-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-527260 Nick Benjamin Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:56:20 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=15924#comment-527260 Conference committee reports can't be filibustered. So if the conference committee keeps the public option the bill only needs 50 votes + Biden. One reason Obama doesn't have an official plan yet is because he knows 99% of the stuff we argue about today won't matter. If both houses pass a bill containing the words "health care" there will be a conference committee. And whatever that committee produces will be subject to an up-or-down vote. The public option will survive conference committee because Pelosi is adamant about it, as is most of the House Democratic caucus. And apparently Pelosi's convinced enough blue dogs that an outright majority of the House wants a public option. The Conference Report can afford to offend all Republicans in DC. It can afford to offend the 10 most moderate Democrats. It cannot afford to offend 218 House Democrats. Conference committee reports can’t be filibustered. So if the conference committee keeps the public option the bill only needs 50 votes + Biden. One reason Obama doesn’t have an official plan yet is because he knows 99% of the stuff we argue about today won’t matter. If both houses pass a bill containing the words “health care” there will be a conference committee. And whatever that committee produces will be subject to an up-or-down vote.

The public option will survive conference committee because Pelosi is adamant about it, as is most of the House Democratic caucus. And apparently Pelosi’s convinced enough blue dogs that an outright majority of the House wants a public option.

The Conference Report can afford to offend all Republicans in DC. It can afford to offend the 10 most moderate Democrats. It cannot afford to offend 218 House Democrats.

]]> By: Alistair http://donklephant.com/2009/07/29/blue-dog-dems-reach-house-health-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-527254 Alistair Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:40:05 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=15924#comment-527254 I think that President Obama will you the reconciliation process, with just 50 votes to get Public Option. I think that President Obama will you the reconciliation process, with just 50 votes to get Public Option.

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