Senator Byrd is needed in the United States Senate more than ever. He needs to be there to protect the Senate from itself.
It is well known the Obama administration is pressuring Congress to use a process known as reconciliation to pass health care reform.
After the congressional budget act passed in 1974 (I worked there at the time) Congress started to abuse the spending and revenue targets established in the budget resolution passed each year.
Senator Byrd stepped in to stop using the budget reconciliation process to enact legislation that had nothing to do in meeting the requirements of the budget resolution.
He introduced legislation which was passed in 1985 and became permanent in 1990. It is known as the “Byrd Rule”.
Senators are permitted under the “Byrd Rule” to ask for a point of order objecting to provisions in the reconciliation legislation they believe does not meet the requirements of the budget resolution. After that it is up to the President of the Senate or presiding officer. In practice, the Senate Parliamentarian makes the final decision.
Despite the fact Senator Byrd voted for health care reform on Christmas Eve let’s hope he is well enough to be present to stop the abuse of reconciliation as he did in l985.
