Posted on 11/09/2016 6:56:02 AM PST by alancarp
This morning on Northern Alabama's WVNN-AM, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-5/REP) mentioned that the key to Donald Trump's agenda could come down to whether the Senate votes to waive their filibuster rule. That requires 60 votes to end debate on any measure, and Democrats are already scheming to exercise the same kind of obstruction they decried of Republicans in years' past.
Requiring a simple majority to pass Senate bills would go a long way toward getting Trump's plans pushed through quickly... especially given the razor-thin edge that Republicans will have.
Right now, the power balance in the Senate is 51-47 with Democrat Maggie Hassan leading in New Hampshire by 1,451 votes with something around 3% still to be counted.
Louisiana will require a runoff election in December with no candidate reaching the threshold of victory since roughly half the population was running for the seat.
All of that makes the seat of Alabama's Jeff Sessions all the more important.
Sessions, who was among Trump's earliest supporters, will likely have the option of taking any role he wants in the new Administration, but that means resigning his Senate seat.
If this happens, Alabama state law makes the following provisions:
• An interim appointment by the Governor
• "On such a day as the Governor may direct"... a special election must be held to fill the vacancy
Now it's perhaps a bit more interesting in Alabama right now, as Governor Robert Bentley is in a slow battle with a state legislature and Attorney General that aims to impeach him for something akin to (Bill) Clinton-esque conduct with a former top aide.
Impeachment proceedings are currently on hold while the AG's office investigates possible criminal misuse of state funds in accordance with his alleged affair with senior advisor Rebecca Mason.
Politically, Sessions' Senate seat is probably in safe hands. The GOP is firmly in control of the state and there is little chance (if any) that a Democrat could force a change here.
What the Governor could do, however, is name a seat-warmer that's less Conservative than Sessions who might not be inclined to rescind the filibuster rule... should that vote fall to an interim Senator.
Also of note: Bentley endorsed Ohio Governor John Kasich during the primary season.
Bentley could also choose a date for replacing Sessions via election that denies the people a chance to be heard for quite a while... the legal provisions do not appear to require him to hold the special election within any particular time frame. Mo Brooks' speculation was somewhere between March and next Summer, but that's merely speculation.
At the end of the interview, Brooks, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, was asked whether he might run for the possible open Senate seat. He indicated a preference to encourage Senator Sessions to stay in that seat, but also suggested that he'd look at the possibility in due course.
If they have to, Alabama would do well to select Brooks to succeed Sessions. Hopefully they get the chance to do so soon.
Sheesh... I type all of that and misspell “Vanity”. Good grief.
Not a real good time for Dems to become obstructionists.
“Venity, venity, all is venity.”
As to the nuclear option: Obama and the Dems have run roughshod over the checks and balances. To undo some of their damage will require more roughshod behavior. I hope eventually it can be tapered down, but that kind of behavior might be with us for a long time. It would give us the equivalent of a Euro-style government where the in-power party has tremendous power, but without the check of votes of confidence to unseat an out of control government in a timely way. That’s what we’ve had under Obama for the last eight, and especially four years.
And yet the have always been obstructionist. They put in the nuclear option to prevent republicans from having a voice. The wuss Mitch pulled it off. McConnell must be unseated
$10 penalty to FR for misspelling vanity.
The Senate voted to remove the 60 vote super majority vote for judicial appointments this week.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/11/how_harry_reid_screwed_over_chuck_schumer.html
That’s a start. Wonder if they might be inclined to assist the new Senate?
Might be able to accommodate the kangaroo court in that regard.
Vanity?
No, that’s an article, my man. It’s a good one, too.
As a result, it can be repealed by majority vote. The Republicans did it many times in the House, but I don't think the Senate ever took it up because they knew it would be vetoed.
I've had my fill of vanities this past week.
But, I agree -- this isn't a vanity. This is a well-written FReeper editorial.
Some of our FReepers have gone on to a career as a pundit or columnist after demonstrating their abilities at FR. They should be encouraged.
Much appreciated - I do work a blog in another life... but it’s on baseball :D.
It wasn’t the majority vote issue, but about cloture: that’s what Brooks’ concern was about. Remove the 60-vote cloture requirement for regular legislation and it’s simple majority rule all the way.
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