Chuck Hagel blocked: Still short of 60 votes

Politico ^

[Sub-Driver]

Chuck Hagel blocked: Still short of 60 votes By: Tim Mak and Manu Raju February 14, 2013 10:35 AM EST

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Thursday that Republicans have informed him that they plan to block Chuck Hagel's nomination to be the next secretary of Defense over demands for more information from the White House.

Reid suggested that Democrats do not have 60 votes at this time to overcome Republican objections, leaving the nomination in limbo ahead of next week's Senate recess.

Complicating the situation still further was Reid’s announcement that the current holder of the job, Leon Panetta, would clock out later today.

"We do not have, at 12 o'clock today, a secretary of Defense," Reid said. “It’s tragic they’ve decided to filibuster this qualified nominee — it is really unfortunate.”

Democrats earlier appeared confident Hagel would be confirmed in the Senate, despite a bitterly partisan vote in the Senate Armed Services Committee and Republican efforts to delay, if not derail, a final vote in the full Senate.

But with Democrats controlling the Senate with just 55 votes, the former Republican senator from Nebraska needs a Republican lift to get the 60 votes needed to break a GOP filibuster. The vote to end debate is now set for Friday. A simple majority of 51 votes would be needed for confirmation, if debate is ended.

[Redleg Duke]

Can the Republicans object to the Senate recess and demand that the Senate stay in session?

[MrB]

Olympia Snowe deeply saddened.

[elephant]

Bond? Think again as he as turned into a money making RINO. Thank goodness that he has been replaced with another RINO, Blunt.

[Vigilanteman]

"We do not have, at 12 o'clock today, a secretary of Defense," Reid said.

Actually, Dirty Harry, we haven't had one since January 20, 2009. All we had was a political hack working to neuter the effectiveness of the military at the behest of his boss.

[haffast]

“A simple majority of 51 votes would be needed for confirmation, if debate is ended.”

If I understand procedure correctly:

Reid will invoke Rule 22 and Cloture. Call a vote to end “debate” which requires only a majority (51). Then he can call a vote up or down on the nominee which then only requires a simple majority, or 51 votes. Hagel is approved.

Meanwhile, expect Dem-MSM to beat the drums on how stupid and careless the Old White Man’s Party is for putting the country’s defense at risk by their actions and also allowing the sequester to occur also weakening defense. It’s a Win-Win Dems. America loses.

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/filibuster.htm

[Eagle of Liberty]

If I remember correctly, the house stays in session and that ends that. I think that is what happened with his labor board picks. I am not sure though.

I believe the House will be gone as well.

The issue with the labor board picks was that Reid never adjourned the Senate as he wanted to extend the "first day" of the Senate to allow for rules changes.

Reid has done the same thing this year, so either Reid will make his rules changes and adjourn, or he will not do this and any "recess" appointments will be subject to the same Judicial ruling.

My prediction? Reid will institute filibuster rules changes and then adjourn. Then Obama will either make recess appointments or Reid and the Senate will approve Hagel and Brennan when they return with a simple 51 vote majority.

[Eva]

Obama wants Hagel as the secretary of defense because he can count on him to be stupid enough to accept the blame for not defending Israel. Hagel is not really the brightest bulb on the tree.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Call a vote to end “debate” which requires only a majority (51)

Reid schedules vote to end debate on Hagel nomination

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday filed a motion to end debate and vote to confirm President Barack Obama's defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, setting the stage for a vote later this week.

Hagel's confirmation will require support from at least 60 senators to proceed to a vote, forcing Democrats to find at least five Republicans to overcome the procedural hurdle. Many Republicans, most notably Arizona Sen. John McCain and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, have voiced strong opposition to Hagel's nomination, citing a lack of information about the nominee.

Presidential nominees typically require a simple majority vote, but because of Republican opposition the chamber will need 60 to end debate, technically a filibuster.

"This is the first time in the history of our country that a presidential nominee for secretary of defense has been filibustered," Reid said when he made the announcement from the Senate floor on Wednesday. "What a shame. But that's the way it is."

Senate leaders are planning to hold the procedural vote on Friday. If Hagel passes the cloture vote, the Senate could debate for up to 30 hours before a final vote on his nomination.

[italianquaker]

thnx

[cableguymn]

And bonehead will allow the senate to recess so it does not cause any problems.

[RedMDer]

[cableguymn]

And where/what are his labor board appointees right now?

Exactly. Right where it put them doing what he told um to do.

[Seaplaner]

Roughly one-third of the Senate seats are up in 1.5 years.

For the Dems with terms up in 2014, they risk a vote that ties them to an (alleged at this point) anti-military SECDEF. Not what one wants biting them for re-election sound bites; and,

For the GOPers with terms up in 2014, the same risk, but for the primaries, one suspects.

.

[4Liberty]