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In reply to the discussion: Why are there no Dems talking about lower medicare to 55 to save money & gain jobs? [View all]eomer
(3,845 posts)30. The second (final) bill was a reconciliation bill. A public option could have been added to it.
There was a push at the last minute to add the public option to the second bill, which was a way to pass it with just 50 Senators voting for it (plus the VP for the 51st vote if necessary) since it was a reconciliation bill. The only reason this wasn't done was that the President and the Democratic leadership of Congress decided not to allow it to come up for a vote.
Here's an article from around that time laying out these facts:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/02/19/reid-public-option-white-house-hedges/
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Why are there no Dems talking about lower medicare to 55 to save money & gain jobs? [View all]
BigD_95
Feb 2013
OP
There were 2 FINAL bills - the main bill passed with 60 votes by the Senate and a smaller bill that
karynnj
Feb 2013
#28
The second (final) bill was a reconciliation bill. A public option could have been added to it.
eomer
Feb 2013
#30
The precedents are for, not against, something this large through reconciliation.
eomer
Feb 2013
#37
It was the passing of the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 that led to the Byrd rule
karynnj
Feb 2013
#38
dems party leadership (hah!) is promoting the republican austerity agenda instead of coming up
msongs
Feb 2013
#5
Because there are no Dems in power anymore. Just republicans calling themselves Dems
Egalitarian Thug
Feb 2013
#16
That's 10 years of not being able to defer income through my HSA you are talking about
RB TexLa
Feb 2013
#19