R
rdean
Guest
The reason they claim they did it. Because this bill is controversial. Stimulus, Omnibus, Health care, and Financial Reform were all just as Controversial yet 218 votes were ok on those bills.
No. You suspend the rules when a bill is not controversial, so that unscrupulous folks can't tack on riders 1) designed to force an embarrassing vote against final passage from the bill's supporters or 2) that couldn't pass without being tacked onto a popular bill whose passage is virtually assured. That's why it requires a supermajority for passage--it's an extremely streamlined legislative process but the price paid for that is a requirement for broad support.
Apparently it was assumed that creating a health fund for 9/11 workers wouldn't be particularly controversial. The leadership seems to have forgotten who they're dealing with.
You could also use, as an example, the disastrous Bush Tax cuts rammed down the throats of the American people though Republican reconciliation during a time of war.
They added trillions to the deficit. They gave business the money to move to China. There was no offset in spending. The economy created none of the promised jobs.
Because they used the reconciliation process, the tax breaks for the rich are about to expire.
And they want us to believe they are concerned about the deficit? Why would they think we would believe that?