Sebelius does not mind using reconcilliation to ram through health care reform

This is getting really dangerous... and a bit ridiculous... I know that the Democrats won the election, but ramming health care reform through Congress is dangerous! They rammed through the stimulus package - without even reading it- which was negligent at best.. are we really going to let them handle our health care the same way?

Congress will be out of town on recess from April 6 - April 17 - Hopefully some of the folks back home meet with their Congressman and let them know that the process of passing bills without reading them has to stop.

It is kind of funny when you look at the number of lawyers that are Congressman - If they were practicing law, they certainly would advise their clients to read something before signing it, well, shouldn't the same standard apply to Congress?


WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, indicated Tuesday she wouldn't take off the table a fast-track process for passing a health-care overhaul bill despite Republicans' opposition to the tactic.

Sebelius, testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said she had spoken with members of Congress who support using the budget-reconciliation process to pass health legislation, which would allow a bill to pass in the Senate with only 51 votes rather than 60. She appeared to support using that approach under some circumstances, saying there was an interest in Congress in "not taking tools off the table prematurely, but being very dedicated to a bipartisan process and bipartisan bill."

Republicans fear that it would severely curtail their involvement in crafting a bill. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the leading Republican on the panel, warned that including "instructions" for health legislation in a budget resolution currently being considered in Congress would be tantamount to "a declaration of war."

Still, Sebelius pointed to her experience as governor and insurance commissioner in Kansas, a state dominated by Republicans.

"You have my commitment, if confirmed, that I will not only be an eager partner to work with Congress, but that I understand bipartisanship," Sebelius said.

Sebelius came under tough questioning from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who pressed her on whether she would support the creation of a government-run health plan. Lawmakers have debated recently whether a public insurance option is needed to compete with private insurers as a component of a health-care bill.

While Sebelius first appeared to state opposition to a government-run health-care program, she clarified her comments to say that would support a public insurance option.

"If the question is, do I support a public option side by side with private insurers in a health-insurance exchange, the answer is, yes, I do," Sebelius said.

She expressed opposition to a proposal by McCain from his 2008 presidential campaign to lift an exclusion on taxing employers for the health insurance they provide, saying that she wanted to preserve the employer-based health-insurance system.

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