To follow up on yesterday's discussion between Paul and me on the president's new health-care summit, it seems Republicans in Congress have responded to the invitation with a barrage of questions and criticism.
Scrapping the House and Senate health care bills would help end the uncertainty they are creating for workers and businesses and thus strengthen our shared commitment to focusing on creating jobs. ... Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward on health care in a bipartisan way, does that mean he will agree to start over so that we can develop a bill that is truly worthy of the support and confidence of the American people?
... Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward in a bipartisan way, does that mean he has taken off the table the idea of relying solely on Democratic votes and jamming through health care reform by way of reconciliation? ... Eliminating the possibility of reconciliation would represent an important show of good faith to Republicans and the American people.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' response was anemic, repeating the president's willingness to listen to Republican ideas and his dedication to reform. It's exactly what I worried about: Republicans are going to keep pushing their narrative (if they want bipartisanship, why won't they start over?) and Democrats will do, well, nothing. Republicans are never going to admit that they've had their say, and the president's public relations event -- which no one thinks will result in substantive policy changes -- won't convince the press otherwise. The only way to change this narrative is, to borrow a phrase, by changing the facts on the ground. And the only way to do that is by passing the bill.
To conclude: Reconciliation is a commonly used congressional procedure, and Senate Democrats have already all voted for this health-care bill and will be criticized for it. Why not actually get what you're paying for?
-- TIm Fernholz
