A pair of leading Republican lawmakers said Wednesday that Democrats are attempting to bend the rules by using reconciliation to try and pass health care reform.
“If the Senate bill was acceptable to most Americans...we wouldn’t even be having a discussion about reconciliation,” said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who added that Democrats are making a “deliberate attempt...to circumvent the rules.”
Cantor suggested that Democrats favor using the quickest means possible to pass healthcare in order to have it finished before the Easter break. Failure to do so, he said, would produce a repeat of what occurred last August, when members who held town-hall meetings were confronted tempestuously by constituents who peppered them with questions over the bill.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding reconciliation,” said Cantor. “If [the Democrats] ram this bill through the House...they’ll lose their majority.”
Senate Minority Whip John Kyl (R-Ariz.) said the debate over how to pass healthcare has created an even larger wedge between the two parties, and has shoved several other important issues, such as energy, non-proliferation and immigration reform to the back-burner. According to Kyl, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is to blame for imposing a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach on the GOP.
Turning to face Cantor, the number two Republican in the Senate said he understands why House members might be leery of the Senate passing a healthcare bill that meets their wishes. “I can see why House members don’t trust the Senate to go along with this charade.”
In fact, Kyl might have been right. In late January, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told Talk Radio News Service that "The House, as you know, has some problems trusting the Senate."
While Kyl admitted that his party’s objective moving forward is to defeat the bill, he refuted the notion that the GOP is simply the ‘party of no’
“We are actually willing to work with [the President],” Kyl said. “We’re in conversations with [Democrats] all the time,” added Cantor.
Cantor, Kyl Rail Against Reconciliation
“If the Senate bill was acceptable to most Americans...we wouldn’t even be having a discussion about reconciliation,” said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who added that Democrats are making a “deliberate attempt...to circumvent the rules.”
Cantor suggested that Democrats favor using the quickest means possible to pass healthcare in order to have it finished before the Easter break. Failure to do so, he said, would produce a repeat of what occurred last August, when members who held town-hall meetings were confronted tempestuously by constituents who peppered them with questions over the bill.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding reconciliation,” said Cantor. “If [the Democrats] ram this bill through the House...they’ll lose their majority.”
Senate Minority Whip John Kyl (R-Ariz.) said the debate over how to pass healthcare has created an even larger wedge between the two parties, and has shoved several other important issues, such as energy, non-proliferation and immigration reform to the back-burner. According to Kyl, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is to blame for imposing a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach on the GOP.
Turning to face Cantor, the number two Republican in the Senate said he understands why House members might be leery of the Senate passing a healthcare bill that meets their wishes. “I can see why House members don’t trust the Senate to go along with this charade.”
In fact, Kyl might have been right. In late January, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told Talk Radio News Service that "The House, as you know, has some problems trusting the Senate."
While Kyl admitted that his party’s objective moving forward is to defeat the bill, he refuted the notion that the GOP is simply the ‘party of no’
“We are actually willing to work with [the President],” Kyl said. “We’re in conversations with [Democrats] all the time,” added Cantor.