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 Trumps 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 ...
Conservatives should be thinking to reevaluate McConnell.
May divine providence stay Mitch’s course.
He damn well better.
“Conservatives should be thinking to reevaluate McConnell.”
Why? Seems like he’s doing the right thing here, no?
Trump gave McConnell’s wife a good job. I’m thinking this might have been the smartest appointment to date.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Like McConnell has never caved before after tough talk. Don’t give him credit for something he has yet to ever do.
He’ll have to get McCain and his girlfriend to go along first.
They have Sunday news shows to do, after all
HOLY CRAP
I’m impressed, Mitch.
I dunno, I think we all suspect it’s going to come down to that.
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.
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.
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, Im confident well 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, wed 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.
************************************************
“THE NOMINEE WILL BE CONFIRMED.”
It’s pretty clear all options are on the table.
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.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.