Posted on 01/22/2013 2:41:23 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Reid to Senate Republicans: Filibuster deal in 36 hours or face nuclear option By Alexander Bolton - 01/22/13 03:29 PM ET
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is giving Republican colleagues 36 hours to agree to a deal on filibuster reform or he will move forward with the nuclear option.
“I hope in the next 24, 36 hours we can get something we agree on. If not, we’re going to move forward on what I think needs to be done,” Reid told reporters.
Reid’s trump card in negotiations with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is the threat he will change Senate rules with a simple majority vote, a tactic known as the nuclear option. This maneuver would allow Reid to change the Senate rules with a simple majority vote, something that has never been done, according to parliamentary experts.
Critics call it the nuclear option but proponents, such as Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) say it is more accurate to describe it as the “Constitutional option” because the Constitution empowers each chamber to set its own rules.
Reid predicted the Democratic caucus would support him in reforming the Senate’s filibuster rule unilaterally.
If he did so, he would likely implement a relatively modest change, such as eliminating the filibuster on motions to proceed to new business.
Reid said talks with McConnell are not close to a resolution.
“We’re making progress. Not done yet, we got a long way to go,” he told reporters while walking into the Senate chamber.
A senator briefed on the talks said it appears McConnell will have trouble rounding up enough Republican votes to support any deal he forges with Reid. Changing the rules under regular order requires 67 votes. Reforming Senate procedures through a standing order would need 60 votes.
A Democratic aide said McConnell could have difficulty mustering 12 Republicans to vote to change the standing rules under regular order.
Agreed. The Great One, Mark Levin, was talking about this last night.
“Boehner to Reid: Anything that comes to the House as a result of your nuclear option is DOA and will never make it to the floor.”
Lets expand that thought. The house is in session, but will conduct NO BUSINESS while the nuclear option is in place. No debt ceiling, no budget, nothing. The government is closed for business until further notice......
Can Republicans filibuster this??? :)
Reid probably thinks the Democrats will have a majority in the Senate forever, but if a miracle happened and the Republicans won enough seats to have a majority in the next Congress, the Senate could change the rules back (to requiring 60 votes) before the new Congress met.
If I were a liberal Democrat, I’d be crapping all over conservatives and Republicans too.
If anyone asked I would say “Who’s going to stop me?”
That’s right. Time to button down the hatches and make the Republicans fight. E-mails, phone calls, be persistent. Throwing our hands up certainly won’t get us anywhere with the dims.
I would definitely make Reid go nuclear. There is nothing to be gained by giving Reid and the Rats any GOP cover. The Senate is winable in 2014, but not if the GOP covers for the Rats power grab.
But, but American Idle started its new season. I dare say 95% of voting age people (notice not Americans because basically anyone can vote now) have no clue about anything that is not trotted out on the likes of TMZ, Letterman, and the loser reality shows.
The America I grew up in where everyone read now and then and could actually name their state and federal elected officials is long gone. We are now basically operating like the high school system of voting for prom queen.
The America I grew-up in, in the 50s, is long gone. We need a major *crash & reset* (SHTF), to ‘fix’ things, if they can even be fixed, at this late point.
I received this from NRW (National Right to Work):
Donna ,
Some Right to Work supporters have reported that the links in yesterday’s email to contact Mitch McConnell malfunctioned. If you received an incorrect link, I apologize for the error.
But with Harry Reid scheming to ram through his plan to destroy minority rights in the U.S. Senate TODAY — or get Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to cut a deal — it’s still vital McConnell hears from you right away.
Please call Minority Leader McConnell at (202) 224-2541, and after you do, call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senators.
Urge them to reject any plans for a so-called “deal,” and instead oppose any and all efforts to weaken or eliminate the Senate filibuster.
Sincerely,
Mark Mix
NRW says that if Reid eliminates the filibuster, he will ram through card check.
At this point, I don’t think there is any doubt that Boner will let Reid “have his way”.
“Reid must think the Democrats will be in the majority forever. I say let him have his way.”
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