Mike Levin: “this session is descending into utter confusion, and if it is confusing here, we can imagine what the public thinks. The…”

“this session is descending into utter confusion, and if it is confusing here, we can imagine what the public thinks. The Republican majority here in the House has moved from pillar to post. First a $900 billion tax cut, much of it for the very wealthy, eating up a good portion of the nonSocial Security surplus. Well, that did not fly, so now we have a proposal, 90 percent of the surplus for debt retirement. So we go from $900 billion in an unworkable tax proposal to 90 percent of that surplus, that would have been used up in large measure by the tax bill, now for debt retirement. Well, to add to the confusion, we now have this bill tied into another bill, and what could be the reason for it? The gentleman from Ohio talked about how it was necessary for budget reconciliation, he used those terms. Let me just read a statement on this point that we have worked on with the staff and I would like to have someone refute it if it is wrong. The debt reduction lockbox provisions in H.R. 5203 are in no way, shape or form a reconciliation bill in the Senate. The Senate had no budget reconciliation instructions for debt reduction. Among other things, the debt reduction provisions violate the Byrd Rule in the Senate and section 306 of the Budget Act which protects the jurisdiction of the budget committees. As such, a motion to proceed to consideration of such a bill under budget reconciliation rules could be filibustered in the Senate.”