DEFINE LIBERAL

[Jimbone]

Republicans didn't have a say at all?

When it came to Obamacare, they did not.

Not one Republican voted for it in either the House or the Senate.

Vote was 60 - 39 in the Senate, all Democrats voting YES, all Republicans voting NO.

Vote was 219 - 212 in the House, with 34 Democrats voting NO with the Republicans.

With a filibuster-proof Senate, the Democrats were able to close the amendment and debate without any procedural interference from Republicans. Any debate that did happen was academic, as the Democrats were voting as a block to deliver for the Democratic President. It wasn't without having to do some negotiating with Democrats who were not completely onboard however... examples like the Cornhusker Kickback and the Louisiana Purchase (pork barrel money) deals were made with Democratic Senators from Nebraska and Louisiana to secure their vote.

In the House, there was similar horse trading that occurred to secure the needed votes for passage. There was no procedural way for Republicans to stop the House vote since the committees are tilted in favor of the majority (Democrat in this case).

The seismic shift in the majority (from Democrat control to Republican control) of both the House and Senate in subsequent elections is widely attributed to the party line vote on Obamacare.

Before Obamacare, the Democrats controlled the House 257 to 178 for Republicans. Today the Republicans control the house 247 to 188. They also controlled the Senate 58 - 40 with 2 Independents (who caucus with the Democrats). Today the Republicans control the Senate 54 -44 with 2 Independents (who caucus with the Democrats).