As Republicans walk away from bipartisan health care negotiations and Democrats prepare to pass reforms on their own, the GOP is sharpening its rhetorical swords ahead of a big legislative fight.
“I think that would wreck our health care system and wreck the Democratic Party if they did that,” Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told reporters during a Tuesday conference call. “[T]here would be a minor revolution in the country.”
He’s beginning to sound like Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK). Which is telling for a senator who’s normally thought of as one of the GOP’s less abrasive members. And though Alexander probably isn’t the best source of information for what will or will not wreck the Democratic party, his dramatic words signal that the Republicans take the threat seriously.
And they’re not just resorting to tough talk.
According to The Hill, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)–ranking member on the Budget Committee–has prepared “hundreds of procedural objections” to the Democrats’ health care plan, should they try to avert a Republican filibuster.
(Back in 2005, Gregg argued in favor of using the reconciliation process to approve drilling for oil in ANWR. “The point, of course, is this: If you have 51 votes for your position, you win,” Gregg said at the time. “Reconciliation is a rule of the Senate (that)…used before for purposes exactly like this on numerous occasions… Is there something wrong with majority rules? I don’t think so.”)
Democrats, however, say they’re left with little choice:
“The idea of having Grassley and Enzi negotiate in good faith is pretty much gone,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who’s been laying the groundwork for a Dem-only bill for weeks. He says a bipartisan solution is not “likely to happen now.”
The Republicans’ overheated rhetoric may actually be a sign that they’re worried a Democrat-only bill will be too effective. Let’s see if that’s enough to leverage one or two of them (perhaps from Maine) to play nice.
