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TPM is reporting that Daschle has essentially forsworn using the reconciliation process to pass health care reform. That's not true. The news here came in an exchange around bipartisanship that Daschle had with Senator Mike Enzi during yesterday's confirmation hearings. "We do follow the legislative process and you're very familiar with that," said Enzi. "One part you're very familiar with is the use of budget reconciliation, which can undermine bipartisan support for policy. Will you discourage members from using the budget reconciliation process and even the stimulus package?""Yes," replied Daschle. "Our goal, our hope, and our desire is to use the regular order." Both Senators wiggled in this exchange. Enzi didn't ask if Daschle would use reconciliation. He asked if he would discourage members from using it. And Daschle replied that he would. "Our goal, our hope," is to use the regular order, he said. But that, again, doesn't block off reconciliation. Daschle's goal and hope is to pass health reform with 100 votes in the Senate and no changes to the administration's bill, but it won't happen.To make sure I'd parsed this correctly, I reached a transition official on the health team this morning who gave me this statement:
Senator Daschle agreed with Senator Enzi that we need to and will work in a bipartisan manner. Reconciliation has been used to limit bipartisanship and this should be discouraged, but it has also been used to create highly successful bipartisan legislation like S-CHIP. Senator Daschle did not suggest taking reconciliation off the table. He did send a powerful message that he wants to work with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and across the country to pass health reform.in other words, reconciliation is not off the table. But nor is it the first choice. There's no news here.
