The Post tells us that reconciliation: “is a procedure created in 1974 to help lawmakers advance politically difficult budget legislation, particularly measures that reduce the deficit.” It then tells us that it has been used 22 times. Two of these 22 uses were to pass President Bush’s major tax cuts.

–Dean Baker

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Read more about Dean.