After meeting with Sen. Reid (D-NV) yesterday, Sen. Nelson (D-NE) told TPM that Sen. Reid was still floating the possibility of using budget reconciliation for the health care reform bill if he had no other option. But just earlier this afternoon, Brian Beutler asked Sen. Reid what he’d said and he answered pretty categorically.
“I’m not using reconciliation,” Reid told TPM.
That would mean that getting the votes of every Democrat on every procedural vote going forward is the only way reform will pass — all 60 votes.
I would say that no one should treat anything anyone says as definitive in this story, as the final word. You can read into what Reid says, I’m not using it today, I’m not using it, I won’t use it ever. For my part, I like I said, nothing’s final in this story until it’s final. But that’s what he said today.
