Republicans Have Used "Slaughter Solution" Many Times

AP

Republicans have been railing against the proposed move by House Democrats to combine a vote on the Senate version of the health care bill with a vote on a bill to make changes to that bill under budget reconciliation -- a tactic they are calling the "Slaughter Solution," after House Rules Chairman Rep. Louise Slaughter.

"The 'Slaughter Solution' is the ultimate in Washington power grabs, a legislative ploy that lets Democrats defy the will of the American people while attempting to eliminate any trace of actually doing so," House Republican Leader John Boehner (pictured) said.

But it's worth noting that this "Washington power grab" was used 36 times by House Republicans in 2005 and 2006, when they last controlled Congress, according to the Brookings Institution's Thomas Mann.

"The reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, the Deficit Control Conference Report; all kinds of major measures have been approved through self-executing rules, which means the House votes indirectly rather than separately on these measures," Mann told NPR. He also noted that Democrats used the maneuver 49 times in the following Congress, which they controlled.

The American Enterprise Institute's Norman J. Ornstein echoed Mann's comments in a blog post Tuesday,  noting the use of the move in the last GOP Congress by then-Republican Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier.

"That strategy, then decried by the House Democrats who are now using it, and now being called unconstitutional by [Wall Street Journal] editorialists, was defended by House Republicans in court (and upheld)," he wrote. "Dreier used it for a $40 billion deficit reduction package so that his fellow GOPers could avoid an embarrassing vote on immigration."

Hotsheet asked Boehner spokesman Michael Steel about Republican use of a maneuver Steel is now deeming a power grab.

"Nothing - nothing - approaches the sheer scale of this trillion-dollar government takeover of health care," Steel responded. "The Democrats simply can't hide from the American people using this procedural sleight-of-hand."

More Coverage of the Health Care Reform Fight:
Dennis Kucinich to Vote Yes on Health Care
Countdown to Health Care Vote Spurs Final Push from Dems, Opponents
Door Closed on Health Care Protesters
Cloudy Skies Start Clearing For Dems
GOP Tries to Block "Slaughter Solution" in Health Care Vote
Explainer: How the House Could Pass Health Care Reform with One Vote
Liberal Groups Turn on Dems to Pass Health Care Reform
Groups Seek to Influence Health Care Debate Without Disclosing Donors
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

[ll2owt]

The super moralistic, HYPOCRITICAL, hardheaded, mind-numb, brain dead, non-thinking, nazi sub-ministers of propaganda bucking for a spot in the new world order, are now out of power and realize their dreams will NOT come to fruition. They can therefore, do nothing more than run their mouths about things of which they are totally ignorant. NOTE THE WORD HYPOCRIYICAL..

[gboyd41]

Dems, you can run but you can't hide, come Nov.

[adamrup]

Republicans have used the Slaughter method many times before? Oh! So that makes it okay? Typical progressive thought process. If someone else did something wrong, then it is okay if I do too. Any politician who ignores the Constitution of our land, I don't care if you are Republican or Democrat, Indpendent, Libertarian, or any other party, you do not deserve to be in office. If Republicans did this, they should be thrown out, and any Democrat/progressives who do this need to be thrown out too! This is an outrage!

[SueZeeeQue]

One thing you can always count on Rethuglicans for is hypocrisy.

[czhnder]

Two comments: this "slaughter" involves up to 1/5th of our total economy and that has never happened prior to this; if it was bad when Republicans did it, why is it okay for Democrats?

[czhnder]

So typical of a "progressive." Tax cut affected 100% of the economy? What an imbicilic statement!

[SueZeeeQue]

cz

You're right the Bush trickle down tax cuts for the rich effected the whole economy by running up trillions of dollars in deficit spending.

Thank you Skippy.

[jab232]

Health care reform is important. Millions are without insurance, including millions of children. Premiums have gone up this year alone 17%-39% and will soon bankrupt what is left of the middle class.

I don't see anything wrong with using the same procedure the GOP used to pass the Patriot Act. Pass health care reform. It is badly needed.

[ohiopolitico]

This healthcare bill is a whole different story. It will raise our taxes. It may cause rationing of healthcare because we're adding 30 million people-- and possibly less doctors to handle all these new patients.

[mary-miami]

Republicans like to dish it out, but they sure can't take it.
Republicans are the rich peoples party. They care nothing for the common worker,the one who actually has to work to pay their bills.
Everyone has a right to healthcare not just the wealthy.
The Democrats are the ones who fight for the working class and the working poor. Next thing we should work on is a livable wage...increase the minimum wage to an amount that will actually allow people to pay rent, utilities and food without having to ask for "help".
www.marymiami.wordpress.com

[ohiopolitico]

Actually, you're wrong. Conservatives represent the middle class, hard-working Taxpayers. That explains why conservatives are sensitive to any increase in taxes because it comes out of their paychecks.
On the other hand, Wall Street, Hollywood, rich athletes, trial lawyers are biggest supporters of Obama. The super-rich could care less what their taxes are...and the very poor don't pay taxes.

[poster-boy]

actually, you're wrong, ohio politico. Look who benefits from the tax cuts. Rich. With Republican tax cuts most money end up in their pockets, not with the middle class. Check statistics on that. For every tax dollar you get back from cut taxes many more are going back to the rich. Besides the rich do not need social services, as much as you do. They do not need public schools or public this and public that. It is the rich man's agenga to cut taxes. Supporting tax cuts means supporting the wealthy.

[LPR1967]

Reading some of these comment I can't help but think how ignorant and delusional some of you really are. Suncreen really? All these tea party rallies spearding hate messages. I bet if any one of them lost their health care or their provider refused a life saving operation that you would be the first to conplain. The case of Jerome Mitchell who purchase health insurance in 2001 and when diagnosed with a life threating illness in 2002 was dropped from his provider. It was later revealed the provided has a "recession panel" that reviews very ill patients to find any way to drop their coverage. The courts found their actions "REPREHENSIBLE" CONDUCT. I think this is your "death panel". How about the case in California that kept denying a necessary live transplant. They finally approved it after too much bad press but by that time is was too late and the patient died. I think this is part of their tactic of delaying till the patient dies since the legal process can take a long time. I have personally seen patienst in the hospital that are deathly ill and off work as a result. As a result insurance premiums were not paid through the employer but the patient was never notified. As a result the patient's coverage was dropped. The insurance company knew of their medical situation but was just waiting for the first missed payment to drop the patient. The insurance companied tries to put on a good face but are more interested in the bottom line than save a person life. That is in my opinion the lowest form of life. At some point it will happen to you tea partiers so wake up. Also if you do a little reaseach you will see that most repulicans compaigns are supported by insurance companies. I wonder where their motivation is.

[jxknowles]

You are obviously well read, intelligent, have good intentions and know how to vote, both for the collective interests of the country and your individul freedoms.

Now I ask, how do you reason with someone who's carrying a sign that says 'Obama's Plan: White Slavery'? Answer: You don't. Those people are helplessly lost in the abyss of Faux News and Right Wing Rant Radio. You just pray that they will slowly die off. Save your breath and collect your own troops for November.

[formrusmcsgt]

But it's worth noting that this "Washington power grab" was used 36 times by House Republicans in 2005 and 2006, when they last controlled Congress..
---
Hypocricy personified.

[ohiopolitico]

Democrats have low expectations. They accept whatever anyone tells them; they believe what the W.H.O. tells them, without knowing what its based on; and then, they accept a bill that doesn't substantially reduce and contain costs!
The goals for health reform were to reduce insurance premiums and cover more people.
Dick Durbin said last week that anyone who thinks this bill is going to
reduce their premiums, is wong... and he's a democrat.
So what does this 2700 page monstrosity of a bill accomplish?
I think we could've gotten rid of pre-existing conditions without this
"Obama/Drama/Circus" we've witnessed for the past year.