Rep. Paul Ryan: Dems Have "Right" To Push Health Care Overhaul Through Congress

Shortly after President Obama's Inauguration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) let Republicans know that the election would come with consequences.

"Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes, we won the election," she said in response to GOP complaints that they weren't involved enough in the crafting of the stimulus.

Republicans have repeatedly raised that comment as evidence that Pelosi is uninterested in bipartisan cooperation. In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, however, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went way off script, acknowledging that the mandate delivered by the election gives Democrats the "right" to push their policy proposals.

"It's their right. They did win the election," said Ryan, a respected member of House Republican leadership. "That's what I tell all my constituents who are worried about this. They won the election. They did run on these ideas. They did run on nationalizing health care."

The GOP repeatedly decried Democratic policies during the campaign as socialist and as wealth distribution. Yet voters chose them anyway.

A faction of congressional Democrats is pushing to use a budget process known as reconciliation to push through health care reform. Reconciliation means that only a simple majority is needed to pass the bill in the Senate, defanging any GOP filibuster threats.

"They have the votes with reconciliation," said Ryan. "They nailed down the process so that they can make sure they have the votes and that they can get this thing through really fast. It is their right. It is what they can do."

President Bush used reconciliation to ram through his major tax cuts. Ryan, however, argued that the process isn't intended for major policy overhauls.

"Reconciliation this year is being sort of tortured and used for different purposes than what it was originally intended for. That's the point we're trying to make," he said.

Watch his interview.

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Comments

[gvc]

"Reconciliation this year is being sort of tortured and used for different purposes than what it was originally intended for."

And the intended purpose of the cloture supermajority rule is to obstruct all senate business?

[Mosby12]

I don't understand why Huffington cares so much about what the Republicans are saying. They are now irrelevant!! We don't need them to get any of our agenda items through. Its the Blue Dog Democrats who are now standing in our way... why isn't more focus being given to them??

[RutRoh]

I guess the idea that our President should be a leader of all the people and our Congress should be inclusive and bipartisan is gone forever. It will from now and always be tit for tat. As a member of the 46% that did not vote for Obama, major legislation will be pushed down our throat.. I always thought that the filibuster that the Democrats used so well for the last 8 years was actually healthy. Checks and balances are healthy. Now we have politicians striving for totalitarian rule. American way!!! ? I think not. But after all Democrats did win the election. You have free will to trash our heritage now.

[Osusuki]

If you strap 100,000 republican monkeys to 100,000 typewriters, sooner or later, one of them will tap out a true sentence. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Paul Ryan--living proof that even a busted clock is right twice a day!

[vernonbc]

What a misleading story. You make it sound like Ryan is a reasonable guy who agrees that having won the election gives the Democrats the right to pursue their election promises. Then I went and listened to the actual interview. It was the same old whining and lying that the Republicans aren't getting a chance to have any input on the health care bill and Obama is just going to ram his own plan through. (And of course those lies included Obama's odious plan would force people to accept public health care amongst the other standard lies the Republicans always spew about the budget and Pelosi and all their other nonsense.)

Of course, he never mentioned that Obama has been pleading with the Republicans to work with the Democrats and that if the two parties can't come up with an agreed upon plan in six months, only then will the Dems use reconciliation and pass a plan with their majority of the votes. But I have no doubt the Reps will spend those six months complaining instead of trying to work together.

[Montanagramma]

A close relative of mine was hurt in a car accident (not his fault) Was off work for 8 months. Ins payments were held back so long that hisformerly great credit rating with a sterling work record were gone, and bankruptcy was the only option left. He lost everything he had gained, house, cars etc. He went back to work as soon as he was released from the doctors.But, his job had cancelled insurance on its workers because they could no longer pay the premiums. Now, just 3 months later, he needs heart surgery, and is again off work. This is a young man, 25, with wife and two kids. His wife makes abt $1,000 a month. Medicaid says they can only make $591. a month to qualify for help. This is a responsisble hard working couple who has been destroyed financially, and there is no help for them. This is wrong! Tell me, please, how this could be in the nation?

[cjkrew]

This is a nation that has a faction of the country that says your relative is on their own! Hillary Clinton tried her best to help prevent your relatives problem. But the republicans and some dumb democrats block universal healthcare that would prevented your relative financial collapse. Hopefully now this administration will put policies in place that will prevent future relatives and other people from having this problem.

[Montanagramma]

We can only hope. I really would like to see single payer, with the ability for the rich and famous to opt out if they choose. Then they could pay their wonderful ins companies, and the rest of us could at least stand a chance.

[okayigive]

Presently, all of Congress are being lobbied by the biggest and most powerful lobbyists for healthcare called "we the people". Rep. Ryan if you and other reps do the right thing, there will be no need to use Reconciliation to give "we the people" what we want. It's time to stand up to paid lobbyists and represent the majority voice of "we the people", instead of that small group who fill your coffer.

I cannot help but SMH each time I hear some reps throw out labels demonizing the actions of President Obama when he's doing the will of the majority voice of "we the people". It's apparent from some reps actions that they are the ones who hold little respect for our democracy by failing to support the voice of "majority rules" or act as representatives of "we the people"; for they constantly hear the voice of the minority who seek to benefit themselves at the expense of "we the people". These same reps will throw out the line that President Obama hasn't made tough choices or given them a voice, yet I fail to see what tough choices these reps are making for the betterment of "we the people" or showing the ability to be team players. It's easy to get in front of a camera day in and day out espousing complaints like a disappointed child, but it takes real effort and commitment to do the job that represents the majority voice of "we the people".

[Horus45]

The majority of this country has finally figured out that Republican promises are hollow.

[whitebird46]

"Reconciliation this year is being sort of tortured and used for different purposes than what it was originally intended for. That's the point we're trying to make," he said.

I can hear the Repub argument against the Dems efforts to enact healthcare now. They will frame it as torture being used against them! Poor things.

[okayigive]

Funny how he uses the word torture to imply pain and suffering for providing a needed service to "we the people", yet probably wouldn't dare to think of inhumane treatment as actually torture.

[Cambridge9]

The Bush tax cuts weren't considered a 'major policy overhaul"?

This posturing from a man who can't put a budget together with anything except MORE tax cuts!!

At least his constituents are being told the truth. The Dems won the election!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Its nt a matter of having the right to discuss it, we MUST make it something the Public has access to. We must have single payer for all. There are no other options. Obama's plan won't work for several reasons, not the least of which too many will still fall through the cracks in the system. Unless you are willing to close those cracks, making them non exsistant, nothing will change. healthcare isn't a privledge, its bottom line goes to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness. If you do not have your health, those things cannot be attained. Its basic to human nature. This isn't something people choose willy nilly like abortion. Its not something because someone can't keep thier legs together and say NO, we have to say for them. This is about healthcare for everyone. This is about allowing doctors and nurses to do thier jobs for thier patients without insurance companies telling them how to do thier jobs. Single payer is our only option.

[Okieborn]

Rep. Ryan jumps around like he is on a pogo stick !!!

[mjtaylor22]

30 years of following the republican talking mantra has left our nation definitely dumber 50/50 drop rate in high school and even worse if our kids make it to college, and of course less healthy, we lead the world in obesity, and chronic diseases, no we do not die of malaria, we die of high cholesterol and complications related to this. And following the Republicans has left most of the nation broke and utterly bankrupt, with no credit, and a very bleak future. Our moral ground is eroded, our financial ground is in ruins, and I mean it is utterly horrible that this was allowed to happen.
yet in still the RNC rants and raves in hierocracy, throwing accusations that do nothing more than point to their own shortcomings, anytime I hear them complain about spending and wasteful govt and how ineffective government is, all I see is them talking in a mirror, because I just live thru their idea of governing, and they just do not do it well at all. They throw a tax cut out there and then go on vacation, while women men and children drown in despair poverty and OBLIQUE FUTURES
THANKS RNC YOU ARE TRULY
UN AMERICAN -------GIVE ME MY FLAG BACK

[Nyla785]

Can you say 'mandate'? I knew you could.

[mjtaylor22]

30 years of following the republican talking mantra has left our nation definitely dumber 50/50 drop rate in high school and even worse if our kids make it to college, and of course less healthy, we lead the world in obesity, and chronic diseases, no we do not die of malaria, we die of high cholesterol and complications related to this. and followoing the Republicans has left most of the nation broke and utterly bankrupt, with no credit, and a very bleek future. our moral ground is eroded, our financial ground is in ruins, i mean it is utterly horrible that this was allowed to happen.
yet in still the RNC rants and raves in hypocrarcy, throwing accusations that do nothgin more than point to their own shortcomings,
anytime i hear them complain abotu spending adn wasteful govt and how ineffective government is, all i see is them talking in a mirror, becaus eI just live thru their idae of governing, and they just do not do it well at all. they throw a tax cut out there and then go on vacation, whilE women men and children drown in despair poverty and OBLIQUE FUTURES

[beckpod1]

Healthcare won't be fixed right...neither side has the vision or balls to do what's right...and america will still be the land of the fleesed. I guarentee it......