Durbin: Going Into Overtime Still A Possibility
After saying a health care vote before August was all but hopeless yesterday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) just said it's possible--though not certain--that the Senate will 'go into overtime' to pass a bill. In other words, to delay recess.
Yesterday, President Obama was silent on the question of the August recess, but said that deadlines--even if not officially met--can be key to making progress. In other words, this could be a push to meet interim goals, or to actually get work done.
Durbin said he hopes the Senate Finance Committee finishes work soon, but Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated with the secrecy and lack of access they're getting from chief negotiator Max Baucus--especially compared to their Republican counterparts, who seem much more keyed in.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
I have to face deadlines in my job. I see no reason for congress to be rewarded w/ a month's recess without doing their work. Execuse me, the people's work.
Take a vacation w/out a bill, sounds like grounds to disipline those failed to do their work!
July 23, 2009 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought his popping off yesterday was highly impolitic and damaging, and someone obviously kindly suggested that he STFU and get with the goddam program.
July 23, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Baucus is a tool. More precisely: a tool of the health insurance lobby.
July 23, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
What does he mean by "possibility." I see no other option. Baucus is working with the GOP. Get rid of him
July 23, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what the dickheads get for putting a pseudo-Republican like Baucus in charge of the Senate Finance Committee. Hurrah for the senority system!
July 23, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Getting a bill of some kind passed by each house before the August deadline is critical. The opposition's plan--which they are making absolutely no secret of if you know how to decrypt the "A=1, B=2, C=3 . . ." level code talk--is to use their fearmongering commercials and astroturfing work to generate a big pile of angry, fearful mail and voice traffic into the inboxes of "key" senators and representatives during the August recess. If the bill is still in committee in either house when they leave for recess, the opponents only have to cause one to three Democrats on whichever committee it's stuck in in *cough*senatefinance*cough* to lose bladder control in order to kill it the whole thing.
If it is out of committee and has been voted on by both houses as of recess, however, that necessarily means a bill will eventually hit the floosr of both houses for an up or down vote by the entire membership of both houses. That means the opponents have to induce spine failure in a lot more Democrats in order to kill it.
July 23, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone else hear DiFi expressing sympathy after the hotel bombings in Jakarta? She was esp. concerned because she and/or her family have plans to travel there. No doubt it's all set for this intersession, so that's one firm vote against working on the healthcare delivery reform bill until the politicians return after Labor Day!
July 23, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now if they could just get Baucus out of the way, they could maybe get something done.
July 23, 2009 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink