Posted on 04/03/2019 2:47:01 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The move by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) immediately paves the way for quicker confirmation of President Donald Trump’s judicial and executive branch picks and comes amid deep GOP frustration with Democratic delays. Future presidents will benefit too, though McConnell and Trump stand to gain inordinately as they seek to fill 130 District Court vacancies over the next 18 months before the 2020 election.
The nuclear option — a change of the Senate rules by a simple majority — gained its name because it was seen as an explosive maneuver that would leave political fallout for some time to come. But it’s now been deployed three times in just six years amid continuous partisan warfare over nominations.
McConnell first sought to cut debate time on executive nominees, with the Senate voting 51-48 to overrule existing precedent. Later on Wednesday, McConnell will do the same for the District Court positions.
McConnell trashed Democrats’ “systematic obstruction” as he stumped for his effort on the Senate floor. His move is particularly consequential in divided government when much of the Senate’s time is now spent confirming executive nominees and lifetime judicial appointments. Under the change, debate time on District Court nominees and subcabinet executive nominees is slashed from 30 hours to 2 hours, a shift that will allow Republicans to fill dozens more vacancies over the coming months.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
SUPER! Finally! The end of DimoCrappic obstructionism
at least when it comes to the normal work of the Senate in reviewing judicial appointees
we’ve all seen how damaging, and dangerous .. are some of the communistic-Nazi-leftist-progressive “judges” that decide cases and people’s lives based on Mao’s little red Book, instead of the American Constitution
Of course democrats don’t need to go this route since spineless pubbies rubber stamp any leftist hack put in front of them.
Did that worthless lump actually do something useful for a change?
They should have done this right after the 2016 election.
Sometimes they grow a pair and sometimes they will not.
Must be something to do with the time of month.
Mormons are like that.
Considering the GOPe senators’ actions thus far, I’m standing up clapping & hollering my R. Lee Ermy inspired War Cry!
Yea, Mitch. Stand Up Guy.
Senate Republicans enact procedural change to speed confirmation of Trump judicial picks
Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver on Wednesday to effectively prevent Democrats from using delaying tactics to stall votes on President Trump's nominees to federal district courts and the executive branch, as the White House continues its push to transform the judiciary.
Under rules in place prior to Wednesday, any senator could force 30 hours of debate on a nominee, even after the Senate has voted to halt a filibuster and move forward with a vote on the nominee's confirmation. The GOP's move Wednesday restored a precedent that had been in place during the first few years of President Barack Obama's second term, and limited that debate time to just two hours.
Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court nominations, and appeals court judges are exempted from the new precedent, which will continue indefinitely.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republicans-push-procedural-change-to-speed-confirmation-of-trump-judicial-picks
“Cruz is among the most closely aligned to Trump in the senate. for a republican, mike lee has been continually stabbing Trump in the back”
Overall, yes, with Cruz. The problem is that he DRAGS US into his ‘learning curve’, whether it’s figuring out that Trump might be better than Hillary, or, more recently, figuring out that handing the Democrats a MAJOR WIN on the Border Emergency might not be exactly what Trump supporters want. But, yes, he does seem to, eventually, figure it out.
Lee is PATHETIC. He OBVIOUSLY believes ‘Chucks’ sweet talking and his (Schumer’s) flat-out lie that he’ll support Republican rights in the future.
But please, Cruz - what the hell?
The Dems would have changed this rule the first day of the session as soon as they took over the majority in the Senate. I hope it does not happen in my lifetime.
“The Dems would have changed this rule the first day of the session as soon as they took over the majority in the Senate. I hope it does not happen in my lifetime. “
You are right of course, as we already had the lessons from dirty Harry Reid.
I...am...still...not...tired...of...winning!
JoMa
“All Republicans vote for the rule change except Sen. Mike Lee and Sen. Susan Collins, who voted with Democrats, and no Democrats voted with Republicans. “
Umm, Mitch don’t play when it comes to getting judges confirmed.
It’s the one thing he’s good at.
It is a way of promoting future pro-business (so-called) fiscal conservatism indirectly (via judiciary), without direct legislative consequence.
It is also a way of feathering his own cap rather than Trump’s. He takes the main credit.
Notice that he does this while simultaneously upping his vocal and public opposition to Trump on the Wall.
I heard DiFi on talk radio making a threat that “what comes around, goes around.”
We still owe her payback for the Kavanaugh debacle. Perhaps she should be reminded of that.
Great news...
I F’ing hate Mike Lee with a white hot passion.
That mother f’er makes me puke.
“I think Mike Lee is the new Flake, with Mitt the Flake junior.”
I don’t know what the hell his problem is. As far as I can remember, he was an excellent Senator, but lately...who the hell knows.
But this does show something: With Collins and Lee (of all people) against getting judges through quickly, it becomes obvious that it it both was not the Turtle’s fault (since he only had 49 yes-votes) and we now know where the problem was...and it wasn’t who we would have expected (although Flake may have been with Lee, his fellow Mormon on this).
Just plain SUCKS...and Cruz still has to get his share of credit, for he gave aid and comfort to the NeverTrumpers from May 2016 (after Trump had the nomination wrapped up) through early Sept. 2016, when Cruz finally determined who the Democrat nominee was and just what she would mean to the country. If Cruz had been on OUR SIDE during those months, we likely would have held the Senate seat in NH, along, possibly, with other seats, and none of this crap would have happened.
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