The House Budget Committee this morning proposed moving President Obama's health care reform through Congress this year using fast-track procedures.
Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-S.C., included so-called reconciliation instructions for health reform, a move that could allow health legislation to move through the Senate without any Republican support.
Reconciliation bills are not subject to filibusters or the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome them.
Spratt also included reconciliation instructions for Obama's education proposals. In a victory for moderate Democrats, no reconciliation is included for climate change legislation. The moderates want to put the brakes on cap-and-trade proposals.
Senate budgeters did not include reconciliation instructions for any matters, meaning House negotiators will have to convince the Senate in conference to adopt reconciliation, making it far from a done deal.
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