Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Nevadans support Democrats’ strategy on health care

WASHINGTON — As Democrats consider a go-it-alone strategy for passing health care reform, polling out today shows a majority of Nevadans would support using the so-called reconciliation strategy to pass health legislation with a simple majority vote.

The poll conducted earlier this month shows 55 percent of Nevadans would have no objection to using the reconciliation strategy – with an even higher margin among independent voters, 64 percent.

Democrats have been weighing whether to push forward despite continued Republican opposition. Thursday’s health care summit convened by President Barack Obama with congressional leaders at Blair House illustrated the continued divide between the two parties.

Reconciliation is a strategy that requires just a simple majoirty, which is important in the Senate where 51 votes – rather than the typical 60 required – would advance the bill. Democrats no longer have a 60-seat majority after the election of Republican Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

Republicans have balked over using reconciliation, saying it would jam the bill through without minority party input. But Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have argued that reconciliation has used more than 20 times since 1980, including to pass President George W. Bush’s tax cuts “for rich people.”

The polling was conducted Feb. 9-10 by Research 2000 for Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Credo Action and Democracy for America.

Support for using reconciliation was higher in several other states polled. The poll also shows modest support, 52 percent in Nevada, for Reid to push for the public option. In other states polled, support for using reconciliation to pass the public option was less.

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