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Senate leader to use 'nuclear option' to confirm Supreme Court nominee
Spero News ^ | JAN 22, 2017 | MARTIN BARILLAS

Posted on 01/23/2017 7:08:17 AM PST by Hostage

In an interview with Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that he would not rule out using a simple majority in the upper chamber rather than the 60-vote supermajority that Senate rules demand in order to confirm President Trump’s nominees for Supreme Court. In 2003, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) resorted to the so-called “nuclear option” to confirm lower court nominees, but stopped short of using it for nominees to the high court. McConnell said today, "Let me just say, I'm confident we'll get a Supreme Court nominee confirmed." He added, “I expect an outstanding nominee sometime soon."

Drawing a distinction between the behavior of Democrats and Republicans in the past, McConnell noted that the GOP caucus had not resorted to filibustering the nominations of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Justice Stephen Breyer. "I think it's noteworthy to look at how the Republican minority handled Bill Clinton the first, in his first administration. Both of his first two nominees, Ginsburg and Breyer, no filibuster," McConnell said. "Obama, in his first term, to go, no filibuster. We think our nominee ought to be treated the same way."

Despite carping from the Democrats, Republicans argued during the campaign that whichever candidate came out as president in the November election should fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, regardless of whether Hillary Clinton or Trump. Under current Senate rules, McConnell said that the Senate may invoke "cloture" if Democrats try to stop a Trump nominee. Cloture is a means for bringing a filibuster to an end. It requires 60 votes.

"If he is not treated that way, then, under the current Senate rule, we would have to get cloture," McConnell said.

(Excerpt) Read more at speroforum.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; scotus; trump
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McConnell continued "We had to do that when the Democrats objecting to Justice [Samuel] Alito 10 years ago, but cloture was invoked ... I think the short answer is, the nominee will be confirmed."

Conservatives should be thinking to reevaluate McConnell.

1 posted on 01/23/2017 7:08:17 AM PST by Hostage
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To: Hostage

May divine providence stay Mitch’s course.


2 posted on 01/23/2017 7:09:18 AM PST by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: Hostage

He damn well better.


3 posted on 01/23/2017 7:09:27 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: Hostage

“Conservatives should be thinking to reevaluate McConnell.”

Why? Seems like he’s doing the right thing here, no?


4 posted on 01/23/2017 7:11:33 AM PST by Theo (FReeping since 1998 ... drain the swamp.)
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To: Hostage

Trump gave McConnell’s wife a good job. I’m thinking this might have been the smartest appointment to date.


5 posted on 01/23/2017 7:11:50 AM PST by BlueStateRightist (Government is best which governs least.)
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To: Hostage

FAKE NEWS HEADLINE: Senate leader to use ‘nuclear option’ to confirm Supreme Court nominee

This headline is a conjecture by some journalist/headline writer and is not what McConnell said on Wallace’s program Sunday.


6 posted on 01/23/2017 7:12:03 AM PST by Resettozero
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To: Hostage

Hardball
Hardball
Hardball

If the Democrats want to work with us in good faith, then I think we should work with them. Compromise can be OK.

But if they won’t work with us (and clearly the radical Leftwing extremists have no intention of working with us) then I think we should shove everything down their throat hard.


7 posted on 01/23/2017 7:12:38 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: Theo

He hasn’t done the right thing yet. In the past, he has ensured Obama got everything they asked for.

Let’s wait and see how it pans out McConnell puts his finger to the wind and acts on that.


8 posted on 01/23/2017 7:13:43 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: All

McConnell is doing a head fake here. Bork was partly sunk by blue state RINOs. With a slim GOP Senate majoirty the same could happen with Trump’s conservative SCOTUS pick even if McConnell goes nuclear.


9 posted on 01/23/2017 7:17:19 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Hostage

Like McConnell has never caved before after tough talk. Don’t give him credit for something he has yet to ever do.


10 posted on 01/23/2017 7:20:43 AM PST by MTsumi
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To: Hostage
McConnell said today, "Let me just say, I'm confident we'll get a Supreme Court nominee confirmed." He added, “I expect an outstanding nominee sometime soon."

Boom ! What a difference the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Pence makes.
11 posted on 01/23/2017 7:22:58 AM PST by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: Hostage

He’ll have to get McCain and his girlfriend to go along first.

They have Sunday news shows to do, after all


12 posted on 01/23/2017 7:24:55 AM PST by digger48
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To: Hostage

13 posted on 01/23/2017 7:30:10 AM PST by wastedyears (Helping create and saving thousands of jobs before 1/20/2017.)
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To: Hostage

HOLY CRAP

I’m impressed, Mitch.


14 posted on 01/23/2017 7:35:38 AM PST by Lazamataz (TRUMP LIED TO ME!!!! ....He said I'd get sick of winning.... AND I'M NOT SICK OF WINNING YET!!!!)
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To: Resettozero

I dunno, I think we all suspect it’s going to come down to that.


15 posted on 01/23/2017 7:35:55 AM PST by ichabod1 (Make America Normal Again)
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To: ichabod1
I dunno, I think we all suspect it’s going to come down to that.

Probably. But that is NOT what McConnell said as Wallace pushed the same "nuclear" question THREE times.

Fake news headline to this OP.
16 posted on 01/23/2017 7:39:04 AM PST by Resettozero
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To: Hostage
McConnell would use the Senate Rules Committee to change the rule on Cloture vote requirement.

The Rules Committee has a majority of Republicans, is chaired by a Republican, and a majority vote passes rule changes.

Republicans would have to stick together for a simple majority vote just two times to put a Constitutional Conservative Justice of President Trump's choice on SCOTUS.

17 posted on 01/23/2017 7:44:16 AM PST by Navy Patriot (America returns to the Rule of Law)
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To: Hostage

I watched the interview yesterday. McConnell was very careful with his words.

I understood him to mean that he will hold the threat of the nuclear option over the democrats’s heads. He expects them to go along with Trump’s Court nominees.

He’s bluffing, but he’s holding the best hand.


18 posted on 01/23/2017 7:45:32 AM PST by map
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To: Resettozero

WALLACE: A simple majority, not a — a supermajority of 60 votes. If the Democrats block a Supreme Court nominee, are you going to extend the nuclear option to Supreme Court nominees because now they still need 60 votes?

MCCONNELL: Well, let me just say, I’m confident we’ll get a Supreme Court nominees confirmed. I expect an outstanding nominee sometime soon. I think it’s noteworthy to look at how the Republican minority handled Bill Clinton the first — in his first administration. Both — both of his first two nominees, Ginsburg and Breyer, no filibuster. Obama, in his first term, to go, no filibuster. We think our nominee ought to be treated the same way. If he is not treated that way, then, under the current Senate rule, we would have to get cloture. That is, we’d have to get 60 votes. We had to do that when the Democrats objecting to Justice Alito 10 years ago, but cloture was invoked. Sorry for the long answer. I think the short answer is, the nominee will be confirmed.

WALLACE: But would you consider extending the nuclear option and saying, even for Supreme Court justices, just a simple majority?

MCCONNELL: The nominee will be confirmed.

http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2017/01/22/priebus-will-not-let-media-delegitimize-this-president-mcconnell-on/

************************************************

“THE NOMINEE WILL BE CONFIRMED.”

It’s pretty clear all options are on the table.


19 posted on 01/23/2017 7:46:46 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Hostage

If they do use the “nuclear option” it is to save our society. Therefore, I am for it. It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.


20 posted on 01/23/2017 7:47:31 AM PST by refreshed (But we preach Christ crucified... 1 Corinthians 1:23)
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