Conrad: White House wants reconciliation for health care

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said today that the White House is pushing for budget reconciliation language to be included in the health care section of the budget, according to the Dow Jones Newswire.

Conrad said that the White House “sees it as a fallback,” but added, “I just don’t think it works very well.”

Without budget reconciliation language, Democrats would need 60 votes in the senate to pass a reform package. If they use the reconciliation process, they’d need only 51.

Republicans and some moderate Democrats oppose using the fast-track maneuver, arguing it will politicize the process and prevent bipartisanship.

The budget produced by House Democrats includes reconciliation language for health care, but the Senate version does not. The two chambers will hash out their differences in conference committee in the coming weeks.