That means if Democrats are going to try to put items like abortion language and other topics, they will have to get "creative" - and that might mean bending the rules.
And if they start bending the rules, the Republicans will rightly blow their top and probably bring the Senate to a halt.
Remember the fuss over the nuclear option with regards to filibusters and judges? This is sort of the same kind of thing.
Of course the Democrats will need to do one thing before we can get to that point - and that is keep their members together.
Something tells me that they can get to 51 in the Senate.
But getting to a majority in the House, that may be much more difficult. And I will say it again - every day that health care reform stays in the news is probably a good day for Republicans.
So the Democrats must do three things:
- Approve new funding changes in a reconciliation bill
- If they keep policy items out of a reconciliation bill, then a new bill would be needed as a vehicle for those items
- The House would have to approve the original Senate passed health bill.
One of those three is difficult. Two will be very hard to do. All three?
That could take most of the next few months.
SOURCE: Jamie Dupree
