Defiant Obama says he won't bend to GOP

[eomer]

36. I was referring to the very important things that could have been done with just a simple majority.

For example, the income tax rates could have been completely restructured using just the simple majority that they had throughout 2009 and 2010. With just 50 Senators plus 1 vote from the VP in the Senate together with 50% in the House they could have eliminated the Bush tax cuts and even could have put income tax rates back to what they were before Reagan when the top marginal rate was 70%.

The way they could have done this was through the budget reconciliation process, which cannot be filibustered. This would have required no changes to congressional rules, no nuclear option, just using the rules as they have been used for several decades. Here is a list of major legislation that was done through budget reconciliation and therefore never had to clear a 60 vote hurdle:

• Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980, Pub.L. 96–499 (1980)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Pub.L. 97–35 (1981)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982, Pub.L. 97–253 (1982)
  
• Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), Pub.L. 97–248 (1982)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1983, Pub.L. 98–270 (1984)
  
• Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), Pub.L. 99–272 (1986)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, Pub.L. 99–509 (1986)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Pub.L. 100–203 (1987)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, Pub.L. 101–239 (1989)
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, Pub.L. 101–508 (1990).
  
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Pub.L. 103–66 (1993).
  
• Balanced Budget Act of 1995, H.R. 2491 (vetoed December 6, 1995)
  
• Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, Pub.L. 104-193 (1996)
  
• Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Pub.L. 105–33 (1997)
  
• Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Pub.L. 105–34 (1997)
  
• Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999, H.R. 2488 (vetoed September 23, 1999)
  
• Marriage Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000, H.R. 4810 (vetoed August 5, 2000)
  
• Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), Pub.L. 107–16 (2001)
  
• Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, Pub.L. 108–27 (2003)
  
• Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109–171 (2006)
  
• Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA), Pub.L. 109–222 (2006)
  
• College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110–84 (2007)
  
• Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Pub.L. 111–152 (2010)

That last one is the bill that enacted the ACA and some student loan changes, the only thing that Obama and congressional Democrats did by way of budget reconciliation during the time that they could in 2009 and 2010.

They could have done much more but chose not to. And apparently many Democrats don't want anyone to know this.