Behind the Reconciliation Debate, a Key Health Care Demand

The public jockeying over the idea of packaging health care reform in a budget resolution that doesn’t require 60 votes for Senate consideration is the opening phase of these negotiations. With Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) opposed to a public plan, any reform package that includes it is unlikely to get 60 votes — but it might get 51. To put it another way, if Obama forgoes the reconciliation process in pursuing health care, the public plan is much more likely to go under the bus.