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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Uncle Steny: House Does Not Need To Hold Direct Vote On Health Care Bill To Make It Law

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) confirmed that the House of Representatives will use the controversial “Slaughter Solution” – named for Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) who crafted it -- to enact the Senate version of health care reform legislation.

Speaking to reporters at his weekly Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, Hoyer said the Senate would use a so-called self-enacting rule to pass the Senate bill, which would allow them to avoid actually voting on the bill itself.

“We’re going to vote on a bill, on a rule, which would provide for the result that, if a majority are for it, that will adopt a bill, the Senate bill, which has had extensive debate, extensive exposure,” Hoyer said.

“Does anybody in this room doubt that you have to vote on that?” he said. “We will vote on it, in one form or another.”

The procedural sleight of hand Hoyer was referring to has become know as the Slaughter Solution and would involve the House Rules Committee drafting a rule that would merely deem the Senate health bill passed if Congress approved a budget reconciliation measure.

Because the Rules Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), drafts the terms under which bills are brought to the floor and debated, the Slaughter Solution would mean that a vote for the budget reconciliation bill would translate into a vote to pass (or not) the budget and health care bills simultaneously.

However, the vote would be officially recorded as a vote on the budget bill only, thereby allowing House Democrats to say they never technically voted for the unpopular Senate health care bill. If the budget reconciliation bill passes with the Slaughter Solution, the Senate health care bill could then be sent to the White House for President Obama to sign it into law.

When asked whether such a move on so weighty a bill would galvanize public opinion further against Democrats, Hoyer said that the public would merely ask, “So what?”

More here

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is not only unconstitutional , it also shows thats those in congress could care less about the american people, but also all of them need to be run out of office

Anonymous said...

Fellow Americans, be afraid. Be very, very afraid. What is in this bill, that is so potentially powerful, that the Democrats are risking their very majority hold over both the house and the senate....Think about it....They know that if enough voters get pissed at them because of their actions, that they know and acknowledge that they may very well get voted out come November....And his quote "So what?" confirms it. What is in this bill that they want passed so badly?

Anonymous said...

The GOP House Used Dreaded So-Called ‘Slaughter Rule’ 202 Times from 1994 to 2006:

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2010/03/17/gop-house-used-dreaded-so-called-slaughter-rule-202-times-from-1994-to-2006/

Anonymous said...

You really think so Hoyer??

Orsonwells said...

7:19, You are on the mark totally. look out, Americans, this IS the beginning of the end.

Anonymous said...

I never thought my country would 1. go down this road of socialism and 2. do it in such a fashion .

I might despise the idea of government run health care but at least I could swallow it knowing it passed a "real" vote in congress. This method of cramming it thru is ridiculous and only reinforces the fact they don't have the "real" votes in the first place.

To the few remaining supporters of government run healthcare I can only remind you of Margret Thatchers qoute "The problem with Socialism is soonor or later you run out of the other guys money". Sorry folks but there arent enough rich people to foot the bill on this one. Everyone will pay more and ultimately get less. The only way to make it cheaper is to ration care choices.

Anonymous said...

Slaughter rule used previously ONLY for PROCEDURE.(where it was in question)

Anonymous said...

If the "Slaughter rule" was used so many times before, why isn't named after someone else? We ain't buying.

Anonymous said...

the operative word here is slaughter, thats where they are leading us all, if we dont stand up in november or sooner