North Dakota’s Kent Conrad made it seem so on MSNBC this morning. He was asked: “Senator Conrad, there’s no doubt a lot of senate democrats believe you know more about this budget process than anybody in the senate. So as you see these potential fixes that are going to be put under reconciliation, what is the one or two fixes that you’re concerned with that the parliamentarian may have a problem justifying under the Byrd Rule?”
The senator responded: “Well, I think changes to abortion would probably not be permitted under reconciliation and the Byrd Rule requirement.”
For more on abortion and the health-care bill (and Nancy Pelosi’s summit lie), see my Friday piece. And for bishop-conference arguments with the Speaker of the House, see here.