Reconciliation isn't a very common tool for passing legislation in the Senate, but until recently the filibuster was only used in extreme cases too. With the abuse of the Republican filibuster in the Senate nothing will get done. From the 6+ months of health care reform debate its obvious that the Republicans will resort to any possible rule in the book to stall or stop meaningful progressive legislation from passing in the Senate. It's time for the Democrats to grow a couple and begin using every rule in the book to force actual votes. The abuse of the Republican Filibuster in this Congress needs to be met by an abuse of a Democratic Reconciliation. Almost everything the Democrats want to pass affects the budget in some way...
Just some examples...
Health Care Reform: Expand Medicare for all or Create a Public Option. You don't need to pass all those other measures in Health Care Reform like making sure Insurance Companies dont deny customers based on existing conditions and rescission. You just make sure the Private Option follows those ethical rules and the private insurance will have to either step in line or be uncompetitive. Who's going to trust a private insurance company if they prove less ethical than the Public Option? Not only do you establish real cost control, but ethical control.
Financial Reform: Creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. A whole new agency with new federal employees will surely cost some money and can be passed through reconciliation. What about Obama's plan to recoup lost TARP money by imposing a tax on banks worth more than $50 Billion? Sounds like very easy reconciliation legislation to me.
Jobs: Whether it comes to expanding unemployment benefits or using money to stimulate the economy it'll all have an impact on the federal budget and should be rammed through reconciliation.
Gay Rights: Getting rid of something like Dont Ask Dont Tell doesn't immediately seem like a budget issue that can be resolved through reconciliation. But if you think about it, allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military opens a completely new pool of potential recruitments. The military can reduce the amount of money needed for advertising to get heterosexual or closet gays to join. Might be a small price reduction, but hell, it'd be a good enough excuse for the Republicans to use it.
All Im saying is lets grow a couple and begin taking advantage of Senate rules like the Republicans do. If the Democrats dont take advantage of Reconciliation now to overcome the Republican Filibusters you know the Republicans sure will when they become the majority.