senate Bill S. 1376
Should the Senate Not Vote on Reconciliation Bills Unless a Hearing is Held?
Argument in favor
Reconciliation bills need less support than regular legislation that moves through the Senate and often contain partisan policies. As a result they need the scrutiny a hearing would provide.
···
07/03/2017
Contrary to popular Republican opinion, the ACA was NOT rammed through without input from the Republican Party. There were, in fact (remember facts?), many amendments to the ACA submitted by Republicans, though many were technical in nature, and there were many committee hearings. "Republicans had several opportunities to introduce amendments to the Affordable Care Act, in both the Senate and House bills. Ultimately, for procedural reasons tied to the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the Senate version was the only one that moved forward. But Republicans offered changes in the committees that considered the bills before the whole chambers voted on them. Timothy Jost, emeritus professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, told us that "there was very significant Republican participation early on on the Senate side. There were dozens of hours of debate, and Republicans like Sen. Chuck Grassley on the Senate Finance Committee were very engaged."" (PolitiFact, 3/16/17) Let's at least get our facts straight here. Anything as important as healthcare is too important to rush through the Senate without input from every Senator. How can we expect our Senators to represent us if they aren't even given the opportunity?
07/03/2017
Bills need to be debated in the open, with both sides raising pros and cons and bringing witnesses to the process. Legislation that affects the American people should not be negotiated and decided behind closed doors, in secret meetings.
···
07/03/2017
More transparency and nonpartisanship is needed. Can't trust Republicans to consider all sides of an issue so yet again we must legislate. The days of the "gentlepersons handshake" are over. Dark money presides. Btw Republicans, the ACA had lots of hearings on CSPAN and numerous Republican amendments considered and passed... this is exactly the problem with your selective, FAKE NEWS memories!
Argument opposed
Senators should be able to bring a reconciliation bill up for a vote without holding a committee hearing if it has enough support. It wouldn’t be wise to slow the Senate down even more.
···
07/03/2017
I specifically remember President Obama's ACA being rammed through congress. Every democrat voicing their opinion on this matter needs to understand that their party did this and set the precedent. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the same level of betrayal we felt 8 years ago.
07/03/2017
I love how President Obama and Senate Democrats did THE EXACT SAME THING 8 years ago but now reconciliation is some evil underhanded procedure because it's being utilized by Republicans. Please.
···
07/03/2017
Any procedural change endorsed by Schumer and Pelosi cannot be good for the country, just look at their records and the incredible mess healthcare is in under their tutelage👎❗️The country may never recover from the Obama years❗️His complete and total incompetence, corruption, constant lying, and divisiveness has done irreparable harm to our once great nation😡👎❗️These progressive liberal cretins need to go away permanently although I doubt any of them could actually get a job as they have no skills other than sucking on the governments teat❗️
Contrary to popular Republican opinion, the ACA was NOT rammed through without input from the Republican Party. There were, in fact (remember facts?), many amendments to the ACA submitted by Republicans, though many were technical in nature, and there were many committee hearings. "Republicans had several opportunities to introduce amendments to the Affordable Care Act, in both the Senate and House bills. Ultimately, for procedural reasons tied to the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the Senate version was the only one that moved forward. But Republicans offered changes in the committees that considered the bills before the whole chambers voted on them. Timothy Jost, emeritus professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, told us that "there was very significant Republican participation early on on the Senate side. There were dozens of hours of debate, and Republicans like Sen. Chuck Grassley on the Senate Finance Committee were very engaged."" (PolitiFact, 3/16/17) Let's at least get our facts straight here. Anything as important as healthcare is too important to rush through the Senate without input from every Senator. How can we expect our Senators to represent us if they aren't even given the opportunity?
I specifically remember President Obama's ACA being rammed through congress. Every democrat voicing their opinion on this matter needs to understand that their party did this and set the precedent. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the same level of betrayal we felt 8 years ago.
Bills need to be debated in the open, with both sides raising pros and cons and bringing witnesses to the process. Legislation that affects the American people should not be negotiated and decided behind closed doors, in secret meetings.
More transparency and nonpartisanship is needed. Can't trust Republicans to consider all sides of an issue so yet again we must legislate. The days of the "gentlepersons handshake" are over. Dark money presides. Btw Republicans, the ACA had lots of hearings on CSPAN and numerous Republican amendments considered and passed... this is exactly the problem with your selective, FAKE NEWS memories!
Regardless of what party is in power, methods to sneak bills through, necessary or no are reprehensible. If the bill is necessary than be out with it and figure out a compromise to get it passed.
Bills need to be debated in open, with both sides raising pros and cons and bringing witnesses to the process. Legislation that affects the American people should not be negotiated and decided behind closed doors, in secret meetings. Transparency is vital for a healthy democracy.
All proposed legislation should be subject to hearings, reconciliation or not.
I love how President Obama and Senate Democrats did THE EXACT SAME THING 8 years ago but now reconciliation is some evil underhanded procedure because it's being utilized by Republicans. Please.
Any procedural change endorsed by Schumer and Pelosi cannot be good for the country, just look at their records and the incredible mess healthcare is in under their tutelage👎❗️The country may never recover from the Obama years❗️His complete and total incompetence, corruption, constant lying, and divisiveness has done irreparable harm to our once great nation😡👎❗️These progressive liberal cretins need to go away permanently although I doubt any of them could actually get a job as they have no skills other than sucking on the governments teat❗️
We cannot allow bills to be passed in a government that is supposed for the people and by the people, to be passed without the knowledge and input of the people prior, and still claim to be true to the ideals on which our country was founded. This has never been more apparent than in our current time, where in extremely partisan "representatives" are attempting for force a healthcare bill through, that would affect 98% of the nation, but only 12-17% actually support.
If we are to keep our soul as a country, reduce corruption, and avoid furthering the near catastrophic division of our nation, we MUST allow for more opportunity for as many Americans to be engaged in our laws as possible. This bill would be a huge step towards that, and a well needed protectionary measure against vanity bills, and corruption in our laws.
There should be no bills along the current lines either way. All bills so far are reckless, shameful messes.
I'm very skeptical of Democrats bearing gifts of new procedures.
Any piece of legislature that has the ability to impact millions of Americans must have public hearings. Laws that strip protections away or impose new restrictions can't be enacted behind closed doors by a few privileged men in power.
This is simply the dems trying to change the rules because they no longer have a majority.
We held ten months of hearing on the ACA. We need hearings on the Trumpcare.
All congressional decisions should be transparent and debated publicly
Bureaucracy is meant to be slow. Every voice it meant to be heard. The slow and methodical process prevents flavor of the moment politics from making radical changes that potentially less than half of a country supports. This is not a game of two sides. This is a meeting with differing voices aiming for middle ground. Do not cut out the other voices just because you do not agree.