Senator in Bipartisan Talks Considers Dem-Only Health Bill

5192102One of the few Democrats working at a bipartisan compromise for health care reform said this week that he would support potential Democratic efforts to bypass Republican dissent through parliamentary maneuvering, according to reports.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said at a town hall Monday, the New Mexico Independent first reported, that he would support passing health care reform through reconciliation -- a voting procedure for budget-related items that only requires a simple majority.

Bingaman is one of six senators from the Senate Finance Committee working on creating a health care bill that could win some Republican support. Their prospects of achieving bipartisan reform have become increasingly bleak, with one Republican in the bipartisan negotiations abandoning the efforts and another telling crowds "you have every right to fear" President Obama's health care plans.

"We made a provision in the budget resolution [earlier this year] that it [the reconciliation bill] could be used to try to enact health care provisions related to health care reform," Bingaman reportedly said at the town hall. "There are restrictions to what you can include in that… but I would support it if that's the only way."

There is some debate as to whether major components of health care reform could be passed through the reconciliation process, since the Byrd Rule dictates that only budgetary items may be considered through reconciliation.

Sen. Robert Byrd, who wrote the "Byrd Rule," said in a statement today that people should "stop the shouting and name calling" surrounding the health care reform debate in honor of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Now Byrd's Democratic colleagues may actually try to sidestep the angry debate through reconciliation -- which Byrd has said is inappropriate.