Posted on 12/04/2014 1:11:24 PM PST by cotton1706
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Miss.) says Senate Republicans should reverse the so-called nuclear option, which Democrats used to reduce the threshold for confirming executive and judicial branch nominees to a simple majority vote.
Lott said incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) should reverse the change of precedent Senate Democrats made last year to defang GOP filibusters against President Obama’s nominees.
Since then, Obama has stocked the federal courts, including the pivotal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, with his picks. Republicans are split over whether they should keep the precedent in place now that they are poised to take control of the chamber. They will meet on Dec. 9 to discuss their options.
Lott said restoring the minority party’s power to filibuster nominees could help improve the Senate’s bilious atmosphere.
“I would hope that they would reverse the nuclear option. That would be a sign that we’re not going to have things that way,” he said at a breakfast sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor. “I think it would help get them off on the right foot.”
Lott said he told McConnell and his staff “that I hope they would do that.”
Under regular order, a rules change requires 67 votes, but outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) circumvented the high hurdle by overturning the ruling of the Senate parliamentarian with a party-line, majority vote.
The tactic is known as the nuclear option because it is seen as antithetical to the Senate’s traditions of operating through consent. Critics say the move severely damaged the fabric of the upper chamber.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Trent Lott. Worthless as warm spit.
Trent Lott is an grey, aging, senile vagina.
It’s a moot point. Repubs will have the majority, so after cloture, the simple majority votes “no”. Might score brownie points for looking civil. two snaps and a circle
Ummmm. No. Now sit down and shut up, Trent.
L
Keep the rules as Reid changed it, Obama has his pen and his phone, and the GOP has a nuke to defend against them.
What is good for the Democrat Goose is good the McConnell the Gander, he looks like one.
Reid never brought hundreds of bills GOP wanted for a vote time to make the Dems serve under their rules.
The difference between the Dems and the Repubs is that the Dems know how to play hardball and will. The Repubs think that reversing the filibuster rules is impressive to the voters. Problem is...after they do it, it’s news for a day or two and then forgotten.
Shut up Lott. You had your chance and you blew it. No one cares about your opinion any longer.
Warm spit is useful for spit shining shoes...............
Civility really worked last time for the Repubs.
Pray America is waking
Ah! Reminds me of a 1960s Bill Cosby routine. The Revolutionary War rules: British have to wear red coats and march in big columns. Americans get to wear dark clothes and shoot from behind cover.
This is actually a good idea. If the current rules are in place, the liberal judicial and administrative nominations will pass with a coalition of all dems and a few RINO’s like Grahm, McCain, Murkowski, ect. Changing it back to 60 makes sure some conservatives have to be on board with any nomination.
Quick surrender now before someone asks us to turn their own weapons on them!!
Sure has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
And why it trent lott not a senator.....the world wonders
It is my hope that the new Republican majority will treat the Dems with the same amount of respect that was shown to them since 2009.
Trent Lott should go pound sand.
Trent Lott is an evil, Tea Party hating, hell, CONSERVATIVE-hating SOB!!
Keep it as it is, and make it a point to refer to it as the “Harry Reid Rule.”
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