Posted on 01/07/2011 4:21:33 PM PST by jazusamo
Republican House leaders passed a package of sensible reforms to chamber rules last week, and now Senate Democrats have offered their own rule changes. Unfortunately, Democrats trample on the explicit language of Senate rules even when professing reformist intent.
~snip!
Mr. Reid is trying to adopt these changes with 51 votes rather than the normal 67 necessary for new procedures. This is unlawful because the Senate's Rule 5 states, "The rules of the Senate shall continue from one Congress to the next Congress." The 67-vote requirement, explicit in Rule 22, continues each session, including on the first day.
On the subject of obstructionism, Democrats protest too much. Republican dilatory tactics occurred largely in response to unprecedented, absolutist maneuvers by Mr. Reid, who uses a complicated procedure called "filling the legislative tree" to deny Republicans any chance to offer amendments. No rule benefitting the Senate minority should be weakened unless rules allowing majority autocracy are limited.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Bump
where does this ...
first day of the session .. 51 votes thing,
come from?
You got me but from the sound of this editorial it comes from Reid’s pea brain.
Harry Reid is a mafia thug, that’s how he won reelection. I will be updating my book Harry: Money Mob & Influence to cover more of his skulduggery soon.
He’ll never be to protest about Democratic powerlessness again if the Republicans regain the Senate majority in 2012.
Harry Reid's *ss.
Harry's little games remind me of the way Massachusetts 'RATS kept changing the law any time it looked like Republican governor would get to appoint a senator, and changing it back when a 'RAT was governor.
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