White House prepared for up-or-down vote on health reform

Director of White House Office on Health Reform says President is ready to support reconciliation if necessary

If necessary, the White House is prepared to support a reconciliation vote in the Senate to pass health care reform. "Reconciliation" has been the buzz-word for some time now, and White House support for an up-or-down vote might push the Senate closer to using the 50+1 rule to enact changes to the bill it passed in December.

Such changes through reconciliation might be necessary in order to get House Democrats to agree to vote for the Senate health care bill. One idea has suggested that House Democrats agree to pass the Senate bill as is on the condition that changes are later made through reconciliation.

via USA Today:

by David Jackson

Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform, said Obama is ready, if necessary, to move his $950 billion health care bill using a legislative tactic in the Senate that would require only 51 votes for passage.

"All the president is talking about is do we need to address this problem and does it make sense to have a simple up or down vote on whether or not we want to fix these problems," DeParle said on NBC'sMeet the Press.

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