Various members of the Grand Old Party are expressing outrage that the Democratic members of Congress may use reconciliation to pass Health Care Reform.
They either don't know how to operate in a bipartisan way or don't want to operate in a bipartisan way," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.). He warned that if Democrats use a parliamentary tactic called reconciliation to push through a bill by a majority vote in the Senate, "there'll be a minor revolution in this country."
Media Matters emphasis added.
While Senator Alexander is packing his musket full of crazy powder, let's take a stroll down Memory Lane via Reconciliation Avenue.
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH):
Then:
"The president asked for it, and we’re trying to do what the president asked for."
Now:
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), who said any use of budget reconciliation by President Obama would be "regarded as an act of violence" against Republicans, and likened it to "running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River."
Think Progress
Representative John Boehner (R) then:
"The House Budget Committee yesterday combined the major elements of the Republicans’ legislative revolution into a massive, far-reaching bill intended to balance the budget over seven years, cut taxes for American families and dramatically change the face of the federal government... ‘What we’re seeing is great unanimity on the big picture, which is the need to pass a reconciliation bill,’ said Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Republican Conference." [Washington Post, 10/13/95
The Gavel
..and Senator Grassley (R) when the GOP could do it:
"The result is an energy bill much like the one lawmakers sought to finish in the final weeks of the 107th Congress that is composed largely of energy-related tax credits...But if a broader energy measure lags, [Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa] said, the tax package could be accelerated by also attaching it to reconciliation. ‘If we weren’t going to move an energy bill, then I would want to do that,’ he said." [CQ Weekly, 1/17/03]
The Gavel
And that mavericky Sen. John McCain:
Now:
"I fully recognize that Republicans have in the past engaged in using reconciliation to further the party's agenda. I wish it had not been done then, and I hope it will not be done now that the groundwork has been laid." [McCain Speech at Heritage Foundation, 3/26/09]
http://www.youtube.com/...
Though Senator McCain had no problem voting for Tax Relief for Married Couples through reconciliation, or using reconciliation to enact cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Student Loans when the GOP had the House and Senate. In facts loads of Republicans absolutely LOVED reconciliation..its just so darn efficient:
The following Republicans voted in favor of using reconciliation to pass tax relief for married couples:
Abraham (R-MI)
Allard (R-CO)
Ashcroft (R-MO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Chafee, L. (R-RI)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
Domenici (R-NM)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Gorton (R-WA)
Gramm (R-TX)
Grams (R-MN)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Helms (R-NC)
Hutchinson (R-AR)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Jeffords (R-VT)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Mack (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Roth (R-DE)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-NH)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thompson (R-TN)
Thurmond (R-SC)
Warner (R-VA)
And President Bush's Tax Cuts, Reconciliation? No problem there. Look who said okie dokie:
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Carnahan (D-MO)
Cleland (D-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Gramm (R-TX)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Helms (R-NC)
Hutchinson (R-AR)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Jeffords (R-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Miller (D-GA)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-NH)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thompson (R-TN)
Thurmond (R-SC)
Torricelli (D-NJ)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Using reconcilation for Tax Credits? No problemo:
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Media Matters
And there's more...but its rather like reading romance novels, different cover, same story.
Sooo..let's not hesitate to call out Republicans who speak of their outrage, how we should still be trying to work across the aisle..even if they call our President a liar and walk out when he's tried to engage.
In the words of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), when defending reconciliation:
"Is There Something Wrong With Majority Rules? I Don't Think So."
Well said Senator, well said indeed.