Frist criticizes reconciliation as “saying” to opponents “you don't matter”

From the September 14 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

FRIST: We did the same bill six years ago, a $600 billion bill -- the prescription drug bill. I took a lot of heat at Republican -- it costs too much and all.

BRIAN KILMEADE (co-host): And now Democrats using it against you.

FRIST: Yeah, but it's still a great bill. It is a great bill out there. People are living today because of that bill. My point is, I did not use reconciliation. I didn't use the 50-vote threshold, because if you do that, you are saying you don't matter.

GRETCHEN CARLSON (co-host): Exactly.

FRIST: I don't have to listen to you.

KILMEADE: Right.

FRIST: We are doing it my way.

STEVE DOOCY (co-host): Loophole.

FRIST: And it's a -- that's a problem, because if you own something, and you cram it down people's throats, and it really is --

KILMEADE: Right.

FRIST: -- nationalized health care system.

KILMEADE: The term is they are using a “Rahm” it down your throat.

Frist supported Republican use of reconciliation to pass Bush tax cuts

Frist supported passage of 2001 tax cuts through reconciliation. Frist voted in favor of a 2001 amendment to the fiscal year 2002 budget resolution that allowed for the consideration of President Bush's 2001 tax cuts -- the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 -- through the reconciliation process. He subsequently voted for the tax cut bill itself. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the bill, as cleared by Congress, would “reduce projected total surpluses by approximately $1.35 trillion over the 2001-2011 period.”

Frist supported passage of 2003 tax cuts through reconciliation. In 2003, Frist voted for the Senate version of the fiscal 2004 budget resolution that called for additional tax cuts to be considered under reconciliation and for the final version of the 2004 budget resolution. He also voted against an amendment to the Senate version of the budget resolution, proposed by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), that would have stripped reconciliation instructions from the resolution. He subsequently voted for the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 itself. CBO estimated that the bill, as cleared by Congress, “would increase budget deficits ... by $349.7 billion over the 2003-2013 period.”

Frist supported passage of 2005 tax cuts through reconciliation. In 2005, Frist voted for the final version of the fiscal 2005 budget resolution, which also called for tax cuts through reconciliation. He subsequently voted for the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 itself. CBO estimated that the bill, as cleared by Congress and signed by the president, would “reduce federal revenues ... by $69.1 billion over the 2006-2015 period.”

Media repeatedly ignore Republicans' past support for the tactic

In quoting GOP criticism of reconciliation, media have ignored Republicans' past support for the tactic. Media Matters for America has documented a pattern of media uncritically quoting Republican senators criticizing the decision to use reconciliation as overly partisan, without noting that those same senators -- including Sens. Judd Gregg (R-NH), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) -- voted to allow the use of the budget reconciliation process to pass legislation during the Bush administration, including tax cuts.

Frist is partner in firm investing in health care companies

Frist is a partner and chairman of the Executive Board for Cressey & Co. Cressey & Co. identifies Frist as “a Partner and Chairman of the Executive Board responsible for acquisitions, divestitures and oversight of portfolio companies.”

Cressey & Co. “has invested in almost every for-profit niche of healthcare.” Cressey & Co. defines itself as “a private investment firm focused exclusively on investing in and building leading healthcare businesses,” and claims that “the Cressey & Company team has invested in almost every for-profit niche of healthcare.”

From the September 14 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

FRIST: The problem that I see, though, is what may happen in the next three to four weeks -- has to happen by October 15. And that is President Obama working with Harry Reid, who has my job in the United States Senate -- my old job -- can say, we're going to use the 50-vote threshold: reconciliation.

If they say that, and they use that, it's going to be much worse than what we just heard on TV. Basically they are saying Republicans don't matter and centrist Democrats don't matter.

CARLSON: They're not going to do that, though.

FRIST: They are going to do it. They are gonna --

CARLSON: You believe that they are going to do it?

FRIST: They're going to have -- they're gonna end up having to do it, I think.

DOOCY: He's got to pass something, right?

FRIST: He will pass something. He basically said it last night: I own this thing. This is me.

CARLSON: But he has the majority, so why not just -- why does he have to use --

FRIST: Because you need 60 votes. You need 60 votes.

CARLSON: I understand that.

FRIST: He doesn't have 60 votes.

CARLSON: I'm talking from a political point of view. Wouldn't that just be suicide?

FRIST: We did the same bill six years ago, a $600 billion bill -- the prescription drug bill. I took a lot of heat at Republican -- it costs too much and all.

KILMEADE: And now Democrats using it against you.

FRIST: Yeah, but it's still a great bill. It is a great bill out there. People are living today because of that bill. My point is, I did not use reconciliation. I didn't use the 50-vote threshold, because if you do that, you are saying you don't matter.

CARLSON: Exactly.

FRIST: I don't have to listen to you.

KILMEADE: Right.

FRIST: We are doing it my way.

DOOCY: Loophole.

FRIST: And it's a -- that's a problem, because if you own something, and you cram it down people's throats, and it really is --

KILMEADE: Right.

FRIST: -- nationalized health care system.

KILMEADE: The term is they are using a “Rahm” it down your throat. And you understand politics as well as the medical issue, because these are your careers, and they are saying that President Obama last night is beginning to set up the reconciliation, because he is saying the GOP doesn't want to do anything.

All the Senate leaders are saying they can't help us. They are going to stand in our way. So therefore, saying, what do you want me to do, America?

FRIST: [Inaudible]

KILMEADE: I had no choice. And they are plowing the ground for that right now.

FRIST: That's the official Washington reaction to what we just showed again in the video clip. These people don't really matter out there. But it takes it to the floor of the United States Senate.

DOOCY: Sure.

FRIST: When you take it to the floor of the United States Senate, and you're just really cramming it down -- “Rahming” it down people's throats, there is going to be a big backlash to that.