On the recordMarch 10, 2010
The Senate's reconciliation procedure is designed for legislation to balance the budget. Now the administration wants to use reconciliation to force a health insurance scheme on the American people. The health care scheme under reconciliation means decisions made by the government behind closed doors against the wishes of the American people. A recent New York Times article claimed that Republicans have used reconciliation in the past, but failed to acknowledge that it has never been used before to enact a massive partisan policy change like a $1 trillion government health care mandate. And the national media have largely ignored the fact that many Democratic leaders, including the President, previously voiced strong opposition to reconciliation. In fact, the nonpartisan fact checkers at PolitiFact determined that the President's support of reconciliation is a 'full flop' from his earlier comments opposing it. The national media should give Americans the facts, not just present the Democrats' point of view.
