"Welfare reform happened with reconciliation; half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation; twelve Democratic Senators voted for it. You didn't have a real partisan issue on those times that it was used"
About this Quote
In this quote, Tom Coburn, a former U.S. Senator, is assessing the use of the legal process referred to as "reconciliation" in passing significant legislative measures. Reconciliation is a parliamentary procedure in the United States Senate that permits expedited factor to consider of particular tax, spending, and debt limitation legislation. Significantly, it prevents a filibuster and enables the Senate to pass the bill with a simple bulk instead of the 60-vote limit generally required.
Coburn recommendations 2 major legal actions to highlight a point about the nature of partisanship in the legislative procedure. The first is "well-being reform", which likely refers to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This was a considerable overhaul of well-being policies, intending to minimize dependence on government help. The reality that "half the Democrats elected it" recommends that there was a level of bipartisan agreement and cooperation at the time, reflecting a less contentious political climate regarding this concern.
The 2nd reference is to the "Bush tax cuts", specifically the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Coburn points out that twelve Democratic Senators voted in favor of these tax cuts, suggesting that even significant financial measures were not strictly partisan, as they found assistance throughout party lines.
Coburn's concluding remark, "You didn't have a real partisan concern on those times that it was utilized", highlights his view that reconciliation has actually been utilized in the past without intensifying partisan divides. He suggests that these examples show a time when bipartisanship was more possible, and major policy modifications could be enacted with wider support. Implicit in Coburn's reflection is a commentary on the existing political climate, which is typically marked by considerable partisan department, recommending that reconciliation today typically lacks the bipartisan nature that characterized its past uses.
