DUSTIN GAWRYLOW: ANATOMY OF A KENT CONRAD FLIP-FLOP
Late last week, another story surfaced that Senator Conrad is now fully behind the idea of used the Budget Reconciliation Process to force a healthcare bill, any healthcare bill, through congress. According to the story:
The Senate "was not designed to have everything require 60 votes," Conrad said. "It wasn't designed to prevent important action on the problems facing the country." If a supermajority is effectively necessary to pass any piece of legislation, he added, this "puts a great deal of pressure on going to more of a reconciliation process to deal with things."
A couple weeks ago, I told you about how last April, the Wall Street Journal quoted Senator Kent Conrad as saying:
"I've been as clear as I can be publicly and privately that I don't think reconciliation is the right way to write fundamental reform legislation," Mr. Conrad said. "It wasn't designed for that purpose."
Then in May, Senator Conrad wrote an OpEd in the Wall Street Journal, and in his own words said:
"I have opposed, both publicly and privately, using reconciliation for anything other than its intended purpose, which is to reduce deficits."
Now, over the weekend a video of Senator Conrad from 2001 decrying the notion of using the Budget Reconciliation Process for anything besides budgets and deficit reductions was discovered.
How does the Senator plan to justify his change of stance?
It's pretty clear that his party's need to pass a healthcare bill is over-riding his previous statements, as well as the public mood of his constituents.
While Congressman Pomeroy is telling his people he might as well retire if the healthcare debate continues, Senator Conrad is willing to completely change his philosophical beliefs to keep the debate going.
Dustin Gawrylow, Executive Director
North Dakota Taxpayers' Association
Office Phone: (701) 751-2530
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