The other day I exposed the fact that Harry Reid switched the language in the House-passed H.R. 3590 Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 and inserted the Senate version of the healthcare bill via a manager’s amendment in order to meet the requirement that all legislation raising taxes must originate in the House.
The Senate passed the revised bill with the healthcare language in it, and now the House must revote on the deceptively gutted changed bill because, according to the Constitution, the identical bill must pass both the House and Senate in order to be signed into law. And, once the Senate Health Care bill pass the House, President Obama will sign it right away.
The threat of reconciliation in the Senate is hollow. There isn’t going to be any reconciliation.
On January 31, 2010, before the House was set to take up the Senate bill, WH Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” stated:
“If the House would take up the Senate bill then that bill would go to the president’s desk,” Gibbs said.
For further confirmation, here is the audio of that exchange. Listen from about 4:20 to 5.00 and you will here Gibbs confirm that once the House passes the Senate’s version of the healthcare bill, it’s a done deal. No talk of reconciliation here, because reconciliation is not needed at all.
Let me be clear, if the Senate healthcare bill passes the House, it goes to directly to the President for his signature. No reconciliation, no conference, no more negotiations, nothing. Why? Because they don’t have to; the healthcare takeover will be completed. There is no more incentive for the Senate to keep its promise to the House. And with this Congress the end definitely justifies the means.
The fact that Gibbs confirmed that Obama would sign the Senate version of healthcare bill as is should signal to Americans that he inherently doesn’t have any problems with it–even with all the bribes and abortion funding–as he has also been a huge supporter of this version.
There are still so many people talking about reconciliation. Reconciliation of the bills is not needed for the House to pass the Senate bill. All the talk of reconciliation is to convince wavering House Democrats will soon…we promise, we swear, cross our hearts…fix all the provisions that give House members fears of November.
Stupak and the pro-life Democrats are fooling themselves–especially Kildee–who is now a confirmed “yes” vote on healthcare due to his satisfaction on the abortion language.
Once the House approves the Senate bill, all the talk of reconciliation will evaporate. The Senate health care bill provides the foundation for a government takeover of health care. Do you really think Senate Democrats are going to prolong the health care debate for weeks on end to strip abortion funding from the bill? Again, I can’t be more clear: this is the Code Red alert for the final vote to pass healthcare.
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