As the House and Senate work on next year's budget outline, the partisan growling is getting louder over the use of the "reconciliation" process for items like health care reform.

Reconciliation is a special expedited process for budget and tax issues, where no filibusters are allowed in the Senate. 

And obviously that's a big deal when you think about the difference between getting 51 votes and 60 votes to approve something.

While Democrats are split on reconciliation when it comes to health reforms, Republicans in the Congress are talking more and more like Generals when it comes to the pairing of reconciliation and major health care system changes.

"I'm afraid that if that reconciliation winds up in the budget bill, it will be like a declaration of war," said Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, at a hearing for HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius.

Enzi is one GOP lawmaker who has said nice things about getting a health care deal, even though he is hotly opposed to most of the ideas that come from the White House.

But he made clear yesterday that if the Dems go ahead and allow the option of stuffing health care reforms into the budget process, then he might blow his Wyoming Teapot Dome.

"I hope that wedge doesn't get thrown in there," Enzi growled.

At the confirmation hearing, Sebelius, the Kansas Governor,  said health care reform was at the top of her agenda, but she wasn't tipping her hand on the reconciliation angle.

Right now, reconciliation is in the House budget resolution, but not the Senate.  Many here believe that a final version to be worked out after Easter will allow for reconciliation.

That might aggravate Republicans to no end, but they are so short on votes that they don't have the power to stop that unless a number of Democrats desert their own party.

Stay tuned.