Regardless of the debate over secret money, one thing remains clear – the majority party is suffering because of a 9.6% unemployment rate, as any majority party would suffer from under similar circumstances. And the Obama Administration took a brief respite led mainly by inventory restocking to believe that a broad-based recovery was underway, and [...]

About a half-hour ago, the Senate Rules Committee opened their first hearing into the filibuster in as long as anyone can remember. The hearing is being broadcast live at the Rules Committee website. Sarah Binder, the political science professor and Senate rules expert from George Washington University; Gregory Wawro, a political science professor from Columbia [...]

Jon Walker had a post earlier today noting published reports that the Democrats would not pursue reconciliation instructions in their budget resolution, making it impossible to pass any legislation with a 50-vote threshold. This would represent a surrender of a key tool to make progress without relying on Republicans who are hell-bent on obstruction. Somewhere [...]

The House of Representatives just wrapped up the last of the changes to the Affordable Care Act. By a vote of 225-199, the House passed the rule to the reconciliation bill, which they also passed on Sunday. The Senate passed that bill this afternoon, but the Senate parliamentarian made two technical changes to parts of [...]

(Programming note: I have to go work on my taxes and won’t be around for much of the afternoon. Roundup to come later.) Bill Halter wasted no time today slamming Blanche Lincoln for her vote against the reconciliation bill in the Senate, sending over multiple platforms a condemnation attached to a fundraising ask. Lincoln voted [...]

The Senate has voted on the last of the many amendments to the reconciliation bill, none of which have passed. Kent Conrad spoke about the two technical changes to the bill cited by the Senate parliamentarian, and the presiding officer (in a surprise appearance, Vice President Joe Biden) confirmed that there would be no further [...]

I’m hoping for an apology. Many liberals, including self-styled health care experts, told everyone who would listen that the health care bill could not be accomplished in reconciliation. Chris Matthews made a complete fool of himself browbeating Alan Grayson for even suggesting that reconciliation could be used to make fixes to the bill, chastising him [...]

The never-ending odyssey of health care legislation isn’t over. Democrats, showing unusual spunk, forced Republicans to go deep into the night to vote on their amendments, all of which failed with the Democratic caucus holding together. This was basically the “make them filibuster” moment that, we are often told, would captivate the nation and force [...]

Not that there was any doubt, but two of the likeliest members of the Democratic caucus to peel off and oppose the reconciliation bill, including one member who cautioned against the sweeping student loan reforms in the bill, have announced their support for the measure. Bill Nelson, who was targeted by bank lobbyists for opposition, [...]

On a conference call sponsored by Families USA and HCAN, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) urged Democrats to pass the reconciliation bill of fixes to the health care law without any amendments or additions, so it can go directly to the President for his signature. When challenged on the likelihood of that happening, given the probability [...]

Republicans have something of a free shot in the reconciliation bill. Democrats have already signaled that they will whip against any amendments and changes to the bill, in an effort to pass it intact and send it directly to the President, avoiding another vote in the House. So Republicans can write virtually any amendment, forcing [...]