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Excerpted from “Parliamentarian Weighing GOP Challenge to Reconciliation Bill” By David M. Drucker and Emily Pierce, Roll Call Staff, Roll Call, March 22, 2010, 1:25 p.m.
[SIZE="+2"]S[/SIZE]enate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin on Monday heard arguments for and against a Republican challenge to the health care reform reconciliation package, but he did not immediately issue a ruling. Additional Republican challenges to the Democratic reconciliation package will be made this week, a GOP aide confirmed.
Democratic and Republican Senate staff met with Frumin behind closed doors Monday afternoon, with Republicans arguing that one provision of the reconciliation bill violates Section 310g of the Budget Act and should result in the entire package losing its reconciliation status. Democratic staff made the opposing argument.
After considering both sides, Frumin is expected to rule, although the timing of his decision is unclear. Section 310g prevents reconciliation legislation from impacting Social Security, and the GOP plans to argue that a provision in the bill dealing with excise tax on expensive “Cadillac” insurance plans does just that. …
This is the opposition challenge that could sink the whole reconciliation bill. It seems based more on hope than reason, but, I'm sure from their perspective it's worth a try.