Budget reconciliation is a procedural mechanism that allows for smaller majorities to enact legislative goals without securing 60 votes in the Senate. As the 117th Congress establishes priorities for the session with narrow Democratic majorities in both chambers, calls for the use of budget reconciliation are growing among Congressional Democrats, many of whom see an opportunity to use the procedural move to pursue a more aggressive health care agenda.
The following memorandum describes the basics of the budget reconciliation process, the rules and limitations of the process, and some speculation on the possibility of NCHC priorities advancing through a reconciliation process based on these rules and political dynamics of a narrow Democratic majority. Read the full memo here.