“The CBO came out with a report on the Senate bill yesterday that shows over $100 billion in savings for the first 10 years of the bill, and a trillion dollars over the second 10 years,” said Pelosi. (0:33)

Senate rules on the filibuster, a procedure that allows a single Senator to block legislation indefinitely, need to be modified to prevent minority obstruction, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), a member on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee said Friday.

“Over the past couple of years the impact of the filibuster has become even more pronounced,” Udall said during remarks before an audience at the Center for American Progress. “Senators from both sides of the aisle have increasingly used it as a weapon of partisan warfare.”

Udall proposes using the constitutional, often derided as ‘nuclear,’ option to prevent the abuse of the filibuster. Through the option, any legislation would only need a majority vote, as opposed to the 60 currently needed through a cloture vote.

“You only have to look at the lengthy and winding path of health care reform to understand that something is seriously broken in the system,” said Udall.

Udall will push for rule reform in the Senate and says he hopes to establish new rules that serve both the minority and the majority by next January.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that the House could vote on health care reform legislation by next Sunday.

“I’m hoping that it will be in that time frame,” Pelosi during a press conference. “Our clock can’t start ticking until we get the [Congressional Budget Office] score.”

The speaker noted that the public option would not be included in the bill, and explained that although she knew Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) would work to rally support behind it, she understood the political reality of the controversial measure.

“It isn’t a case of it’s not in there because the Senate is whipping against it. It isn’t in there because they don’t have the votes to have it in there or they would have had it in there to begin with,” Pelosi said.

Noted the speaker, “I’m quite sad that a public option isn’t in there.”

The legislation, based largely on the health care bill passed initially in the Senate and unpopular among House Democrats, is intended to be sent back to the upper chamber for additional measures provided through reconciliation, a process that would allow Democrats to side-step the 60 votes needed for cloture.

Pelosi commented on concerns among some House Democrats that the Senate could falter on reconciliation, and thus politically embarrass the speaker’s colleagues.

“I think Members are much more comfortable about the fact that this reconciliation will happen,” Pelosi stated. “Nonetheless, there are certain assurances that they want and that we will get for them before I ask them to take the vote. “

The Washington Bureau will be covering the following:

-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s weekly press briefing.

-House Budget Committee ranking Republican Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and vice ranking Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) hold a pen and pad briefing on next week’s markup of the reconciliation bill in the Budget Committee.

-The Center for American Progress (CAP) holds a discussion entitled, “Evaluating the Modern U.S. Senate and its Contribution to American Governance.”

-The U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Raj Shah delivers remarks at the launch of “Helping Shelter Haiti,” an interactive exhibit that illustrates the agency’s immediate and long-term plans for sheltering those displaced.

“I take the words revolution very seriously,” said Reverend Lennox Yearwood, the president of political organization the Hip Hop Caucus. “I understand that it is a very serious claim to make, but unfortunately, one that we must make today.”

Yearwood was joined by, among others, Sierra Club President Allison Chin, Rock the Vote’s Executive Director Heather Smith and environmental pioneer Denis Hayes, who was the national coordinator for the first Earth Day.

The participants signed a declaration calling for the Senate to hasten their action on climate change legislation.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) says Democrats will attempt to buy the votes to pass health care reform.

“We are entitled to do both health care and education by reconciliation,” Reid said. “But … I want the [Democratic] caucus to make that decision. I don’t want to do it on an arbitrary basis.” (0:23)

Sens. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said Thursday that the health reform bill must first become a law before reconciliation can be used to amend it.

“So much of this bill may be subject to the Byrd Rule and may go in one way and come out another way, assuming it comes out at all,” Gregg told reporters during a brief session.

Senate Republicans have secured 41 signatures on a letter demanding that reconciliation only be used on legislation involving budget adjustments, and not major policy changes, said Alexander.

“If any sentence is deemed that the policy is more significant then the budget adjustments that it applies to…it will be knocked out, the paragraph will be knocked out, and the section will be knocked out,” said Gregg.

Alexander reiterated a GOP desire to deal with reforming the nation’s healthcare system in a “step-by-step” manner. Gregg agreed, and argued that a more piecemeal approach would yield a more transparent process.

“The simple fact is [Democrats] are hiding the bill. This is another one of those processes where it’s being written in a hidden room, behind a hidden room, behind a hidden door,” said Gregg.

“I have a lot of difficulties doing what I can to maintain the Senate as an orderly body. I’m not going to get into the House or how they are going to vote,” said Reid. (0:21)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski told members of the Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that when reviewing the proposed Comcast/NBC Universal merger, consumer interests will be held in the highest regard.

Comcast, the country’s largest cable and broadband company, announced in December 2009 that it planned to take over NBC Universal. Critics wondered whether the merger would create a media mogul that simultaneously would have the power to produce some of America’s most popular entertainment, along with the ability to control the nation’s access to it.

Genachowski said the FCC is focusing on preventing the merger from not only increasing prices for customers, but also reducing the amount of content they would have access to.

The focus on protecting consumers is one of three main pillars the FCC and Congress are hoping to see materialize from the prospective merger. In addition, Genachowski said the evolving nature of modern media will also be considered in the FCC’s analysis, along with the stability of competition in the market.

“The enduring values remain what they were, promoting effective competition, protecting and empowering consumers, ensuring that there is innovation and promoting investment,” Genachowski said. “Our focus will be on making sure that those values, those goals are achieved.”

Aside from his remarks on the merger, Genachowski said the FCC is working to develop policies that would extend universal broadband to urban and rural America. According to the Chairman, these initiatives would ultimately enhance global competitiveness, create jobs and empower consumers.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said Thursday that, for Democrats, policy has taken a backseat to politics in the ongoing debate over health care reform.

“This dialogue right now is no longer about substance, it’s no longer about the purposes, it’s just about ‘I need to win because I need to win, because I need to win,’” said Gregg. “They see a loss as being a loss of credibility, it’s no longer about the policy or the effectiveness or really about health care.”

By metaphorically referring to the nation as a defibrillator, Gregg said on Thursday that his biggest concern over healthcare reform is the $500 billion worth of cuts to Medicare Democrats are proposing, which in his view is significant to the economy.

Medicare’s $38 trillion fund “is the power source for defibrillator when we have this fiscal cardiac arrest as a nation,” said Gregg. “And if you use it up now to create new entitlements…you know we’re going to aggravate the cardiac arrest. Then the defibrillator has no energy.”

Gregg added, however, that Medicare spending should “absolutely” be adjusted to make it solvent.

On the possibility of Democrats using reconciliation to pass reform, Gregg labeled it as a tool by which the Democrats can “buy the votes to pass the big bill.”

“Reconciliation, by its definition, [means] you have to change a law,” said Gregg. “You can’t reconcile a bill that is not passed.”

“It was never created for the purposes of doing policy.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters Thursday that the Senate could couple a student loan bill with health care reform legislation and pass both by reconciliation.

“We are entitled to do both health care and education by reconciliation,” Reid said. “But … I want the [Democratic] caucus to make that decision. I don’t want to do it on an arbitrary basis.”

The student loan reform bill, pushed by House Education Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.), would limit the authority that banks have over student loans.

Reid declined to speculate whether members of the lower chamber were concerned that the Senate would not act on a reconciliation package if members were to approve the Senate’s unpopular health care legislation.

“I have a lot of difficulties doing what I can to maintain the Senate as an orderly body. I am not going to get into the House and how they are going to vote,” said Reid.

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) along with Reps. Jim Marshall (D-GA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) unveiled new legislation on Thursday aimed at balancing the federal budget. According to Marshall, H.J. Res. 1 is an amendment that would force government to “make the tough decisions.”

Over the past 50 years, the nation’s budget has been in balance only four times, said Marshall. This amendment would attempt to balance the budget within five years, which “will be a major challenge,” he said.

“It’s not the concept that is hard; it’s finding the will to do so. Millions of American families do it. Millions of American small businesses do it. 49 states do it. It’s time for the federal government to do it too,” said Coffman.

With the country’s debt currently over $12 trillion, the legislation would place restraints on how the government keeps its books. Even President Barack Obama would be required to submit a proposed budget for any fiscal year in which total outlays would not exceed total receipts.

“The problem that we have right now is that everyone gets what they want,” Coffman lamented.

In 1995 and 1997, a similar amendment passed through the House, but ultimately died in the Senate. This newly formed bipartisan caucus would fight to ensure the amendment passes this time around.

“I think this amendment will pass if we just get it out of the House and Senate…The states will [ratify] this in a heartbeat,” said Marshall.

The resolution currently has 175 cosponsors, and needs just 125 more to reach the required two-thirds majority in order to pass the House.

President Barack Obama addressed the annual Export-Import Bank conference on Thursday, outlining details of his proposed National Export Initiative.

In his speech, Obama said he’d like to see U.S. exports doubled over the next five years, a figure he first announced during his State of The Union address this past January. The President reiterated his pledge that such growth will create two million U.S. jobs.

“If we want to once again approach full employment; if we want to create broad, shared, and lasting wealth for our workers and our families; if we want an America that is ready to compete on the global playing field of the 21st century – then we cannot slide back into an economy where we borrow too much and put off tough challenges,” he said.

“In 2010, as the world economy recovers, export-driven growth opportunities will continue to multiply,” said U.S.Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a conference call with reporters earlier in the week. “This administration has laid out an aggressive agenda to seize the full measure of those opportunities – one that supports the creation of more and better jobs.”

To help U.S. companies better compete in the global market, the President stressed the need for export control reform, which would help better maintain control over the output of sensitive items. Such reform would also help minimize theft and production of counterfeit items of American intellectual property.

“In a time when millions of Americans are out of work, boosting our exports is a short-term imperative…It’s also critical for our long-term prosperity. 95% percent of the world’s customers and the world’s fastest-growing markets are outside our borders. We need to compete for those customers. Because other nations are,” said Obama.

Health Affairs holds a media breakfast to discuss the “Outlook for Healthcare Reform and Reconciliation.”
A news conference to launch the newly formed bipartisan Congressional Caucus to pass the “Balanced Budget Amendment”.
Full committee hearing on “Consumers, Competition, and the Proposed Comcast-NBC Merger.”

“There is no question that Malaria is occurring at higher and higher altitudes in places it didn’t before because mosquitos are going to places they didn’t feel comfortable before,” said Clinton. (0:12)

“[The Local Jobs for America Act] Will save or create 1 million public and private sector jobs in local communities across the country,” said Miller during a conference call with reporters. (0:11)

“This is a bill for Main Street, not Wall Street,” said Miller. (0:06)

Once passed, the bill will provide communities $100 billion over the next two years to prevent businesses and local governments from being forced to cut jobs.

“In most cases local officials either raise taxes or lay-off workers when facing the kind of budget crisis they face today,” said the California Democrat. (0:10)

Hundreds protest in Washington, D.C. in support of Health Care Reform.

I remember my interview with the general quite well during the Democratic National Convention of 2004. He was then a surrogate for candidate Kerry. I am known by Democrats and Republicans alike as being a fair interviewer and not given to gotcha tactics. Gen. McPeak did not like me and did not like my interview, including my questions about gays in the military. He got up and rocked the table. I then asked my Air Force friends about the general, to find out that people disliked him so much during his tenure that they left the Air Force and went into civilian life. Gen. McPeak’s arguments in the New York Times about gays in the military focused on the issue of unit cohesion, an issue he seemed little interested in during his time, preferring instead to focus on high-cost follies.
This is the guy who is known for spending taxpayer money in ill-conceived ventures when he was chief of staff of the Air Force. Some of his more notable decisions when he was in that position include changing the uniform for military personnel. The change was despised, and after he left was quickly changed back.

He is also known for instituting total quality management in the Air Force, a technique that has been successfully used in business, but in the form he instituted was not suited to Air Force structure. Quickly, his total quality management became known not at TQM but as “To Quote McPeak.” There was an even worse name for it, but I’m not going to put it in print. Many in the Air Force believe that this cost the taxpayers millions of dollars, although I’ve not seen any studies backing this.
Next, Gen. McPeak came up with an idea to create a bonus for pilots but make them sign up for an additional five years. Many of those who did not sign up for the bonus could not fly and found themselves in desk jobs in the Air Force. An interesting analysis of this and other management decisions by Gen. McPeak was written by William J. Dalonzo for the Air Command and Staff College in 1999. He titled his paper “McPeak’s Follies, A Comprehensive Look at Rates Management in the 90s.” In another management decision, Dalonzo says, “In just four days McPeak created a pilot bank which would grow to encompass 1,100 deferred pilots.”

It wasn’t enough that McPeak caused so many problems in the Air Force. He also signed up to be one of then-candidate Obama’s military advisers. I had the opportunity during the campaign to say to Susan Rice that Gen. McPeak was going to be a big mistake. She dismissed my comments, but shortly after, McPeak got himself in some trouble on the campaign trail. Gen. McPeak, referring to Hillary Clinton, said that Obama doesn’t go on television and have crying fits. It was then that some of his more notable quotations were found. He had said that if things would work right, we would be in Iraq for a century, and he also said that we should not hope for a democratic Iraq (the Oregonian).
Another interview was dug up where he inferred Jewish influence on American policy, saying that “we have a large vote, New York City, Miami … and no politician wants to run against it.” Needless to say, McPeak’s dreams of getting a big Obama administration job did not come true. But like many of these guys he is now resurfacing, commenting on what would work well in the military when he couldn’t make the military work well.
As his arguments in the New York Times on gays in the military focused on unit cohesion, perhaps he should stay with that issue. He ought to know about cohesion in the military because he probably most single-handedly increased unit cohesion when he was in charge. The cohesion was a force like no other against his policies.

“[The Local Jobs for America Act] Will save or create 1 million public and private sector jobs in local communities across the country,” said Miller during a conference call with reporters. “This is a bill for Main Street, not Wall Street.”

Once passed, the bill will provide communities $100 billion over the next two years to prevent businesses and local governments from being forced to cut jobs.

“In most cases local officials either raise taxes or lay-off workers when facing the kind of budget crisis they face today,” said the California Democrat.

Miller explained that it was not yet decided whether the bill will be joined with the Senate’s jobs legislation or passed separately, noting that it would be left to the discretion of Congressional leaders.

“When a Pro-Life person hears the word family planning, they think abortion…when you see these things in operation they come across as clearly pro-family.”

Added Clinton, “these poor women are just trying to manage their lives.”(0:38)

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) CEO Karen Ignagni offered back to back remarks Wednesday that highlighted the vast differences between how the Obama administration and the insurance industry are viewing the current attempt to reform the U.S. health care system.

Sebelius, who appeared at AHIP’s annual conference, suggested that funds used by AHIP for attack ads could be better spent on lowering coverage costs.

“I am hopeful that you can take the assets that you have and the influence … and use it to start calling for comprehensive reform to pass,” said Sebelius. “Instead of spending energy attacking the parts of the proposal that you don’t like, come to the table.”

Ignagni held a press conference immediately after and took the opportunity to raise concerns that AHIP continues to have with the legislation proposed by Democrats.

“We are committed to bringing everyone into the [health care] system,” said Ignagni. “The problem that we have with the current legislation is that we are very concerned that it will make health care more expensive, not more affordable.”

Added the CEO, “We have offered very specific proposals [to ensure affordability,]” said Ignagni. “We believe that the legislation needs to be fixed in that area; that it still can be fixed.”

Sebelius argued that attacking the Democrat’s proposal is a “short-term strategy.”

“You can continue the opposition to reform and if you do, and reform fails, I can give you a pretty good prediction of what happens next,” Sebelius said. “By next March, premiums will take even a bigger bite out of American’s wages, your market will shrink even further [and] more Americans will lose their employer-sponsored insurance.”