Last week the Newell for Congress Campaign discussed the possibility of the Democrats using reconciliation to pass a health care bill in the Senate that included a public option. By using reconciliation, Senate democrats would only need a simple 50 + 1 vote to pass the bill -- And they clearly have those votes. Over the weekend that possibility took one more step towards becoming a reality, when Chuck Schumer (D-NY) appeared on "Meet the Press."

Citing the looming failure of the Senate Finance Committee's compromise bill, as well the blind Republican opposition in Congress, Schumer announced that he Democrats were moving forward on their own bill. This bill, one can assume, would include a public option and would be much more likely to get through a conference committee with the House of Representatives. After all, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) did declare over the weekend that the House would not pass a bill without a public option. Therefore, by utilizing reconciliation, Congressional Democrats will not have to cave to the tyranny of the minority. Even the minority members of their party.

While this tactic obviously has pros and cons, Congress is at a point where it is more important to get 47 million Americans insured, than it is to ensure Senate Republicans don't have their feelings hurt. Will they be cut out of the process? Potentially. But they'll only be cut out after months and months of intense negotiation. After they had months and months to reach a compromise they could support. In short, they were not negotiating in good faith. Senate Republicans have, and are, simply trying to run out the clock on the President.

That is not how democracy works.

When the Senate reconvenes after recess it is time to introduce the Democrats bill. It's time to have a robust debate, and then pass Health Care Reform so that we can get to a conference committee. The process is far from over, but it's time to take the next step towards progress. And that step begins in the Senate.

--Newell for Congress Campaign