April 22 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration wants the Senate to approve an overhaul of the health-care system and end subsidies to student loan providers using a procedure that would keep Republicans from blocking the measures, a top lawmaker said.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad said today the White House is pressing Democrats to use the parliamentary procedure known as reconciliation that allows measures to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes that are needed to overcome stalling tactics. Democrats control the chamber with 58 votes.

Democratic lawmakers said they haven’t decided on reconciliation, which would have to be incorporated into their annual budget plan. The administration’s position is likely to weigh heavily on negotiators attempting to reconcile competing budget plans approved earlier this month by the House and Senate.

Administration officials want reconciliation used “for health care and education,” said Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat who is one of the budget-plan negotiators. “We certainly pay attention to what they prefer and listen closely to their arguments.”

He said the administration envisions using the tactic as a “fall-back” plan if Republicans prove unwilling to negotiate on health care. The White House is not calling for using reconciliation to approve cap-and-trade legislation designed to rein in greenhouse gases.

A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Limit Amendments

The tactic would not only enable Senate Democrats to approve Obama’s plans without any Republican votes, it also would limit debate on the matters to 20 hours while restricting what sort of amendments lawmakers may offer.

Republicans have opposed use of the procedure. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said “using reconciliation would make it absolutely clear that they intend to carry out all of their plans on a purely partisan basis.” He said, “Americans deserve better -- they expect a full and open debate.”

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, voiced support for using the tactic to approve a health-care bill this year. He called it “essential that we pass” such legislation.

‘Political Amnesia’

He dismissed Republican complaints, saying, “They’re suffering from political amnesia -- they fail to remember a dozen times now they’ve used reconciliation for very substantial things.” He was referring to the Republican reliance on the tactic in past years when the party controlled the Senate.

President Barack Obama’s proposals to change the health- care system would require Humana, UnitedHealth Group Inc. and other insurers to begin offering competitive bids to participate in the government’s Medicare Advantage plan.

Under reconciliation, it also would be easier for Senate Democrats to brush aside objections from Republicans to plans to eliminate subsidies to student-loan providers such as Reston, Virginia-based Sallie Mae. Democrats want to use the savings, an estimated $94 billion over the next 10 years, to finance an increase in federal tuition aid.

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, a California Democrat, said today he expects the Senate to use the tactic to approve the subsidy cuts.

In the House, rules allow the Democrats who currently control the chamber to pass legislation by a simple majority.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Faler in Washington at bfaler@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 22, 2009 19:24 EDT