I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
While he hasn’t signed on to a letter being circulated in the Senate urging the use of reconciliation to include the public option in a health care bill, Sen. Jeff Bingaman told radio reporters yesterday that the public option “should definitely” be included in a health care reconciliation package, if it could get the votes.
“…I would definitely support it if we can still get the 51 votes to go ahead and pass that reconciliation package with that provision [pubic option] in it,” Bingaman said in reply to a question from Jim Williams of KUNM during a regularly scheduled call with radio reporters.
“I haven’t done a nose count. I don’t know if Sen. Reid has to determine whether or not that kind of provision could still get the necessary votes. If it could we should definitely include it.”
The letter urging a reconciliation package that includes the public option was crafted by Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Co. It currently has 23 senators signed on, including New Mexico’s other senator, Tom Udall.
Reconciliation is a special process through which the Senate deals with budget issues. Only 51 votes are needed to pass a budget reconciliation bill on the floor of the Senate, whereas all other bills are susceptible to a filibuster which requires 60 votes to overcome.
Bingaman signaled almost a year ago that he supported the reconciliation process for passing a health care reform bill if necessary. Beyond the subject of the public option, he said yesterday that he thinks the reconciliation process should be used to finish up the health care bill.
“…the procedure that I think would make sense since the Senate has already passed a comprehensive bill is for us to now identify the changes in that bill that are required in order to get the support from House members for what we’ve passed and do those changes as part of a reconciliation bill which would only require the 51 votes,” he said.
