Posted on 11/03/2010 1:19:46 PM PDT by jazusamo
The top three Senate Democrats said the onus was on the newly-strengthened GOP conference to cooperate on legislation next year.
Republicans picked up six Senate seats Tuesday night, not enough to take control of the chamber but the new numbers will make it harder for Democrats to get the necessary 60 votes to proceed on controversial legislation.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.), in a conference call with reporters Wednesday, pledged to work with the Republicans but also emphasized the GOP’s responsibility to not block legislation.
Reid, especially, renewed a threat he made before, that Republicans must stop obstructing and start cooperating. The majority leader, who survived a close re-election battle, said he spoke early Wednesday afternoon with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
“Republicans must take their responsibility to solve the problems of ordinary Americans,” Reid said. “Simply saying ‘No,’ as we’ve had this past Congress… won’t bring jobs back. It won’t strengthen the economy, and it won’t help families who are struggling to make ends meet. ‘No’ is not the answer. It has to be ‘Yes.’ Not our ‘Yes,’ but a combined ‘Yes,’ something we work out — a consensus ‘Yes.’”
“Playing to a draw in the United States Senate for political score is not acceptable to the American people,” added Durbin. “We need to work together. The Senate will be the crucible for some of the most important issues of our day.”
Specifically, Schumer said the 112th Congress will “focus on the middle class like a laser,” and that he expects, as per tradition, Republicans will insist on tax cuts and Democrats will defend spending on infrastructure. However, Schumer also acknowledged Democrats “don’t have the monopoly on knowledge.”
Asked about the lame-duck session scheduled to start on Nov. 15, Reid said “a number of issues” could be taken up and that he has begun talks with McConnell on the agenda.
Pointedly, however, Reid signaled that Democrats would likely vote against a wholesale extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts signed by President George W. Bush, which expire at the end of the year. Democrats would agree to extending the cuts for middle-class families, Reid said, but allowing them for wealthy Americans “is not going to happen” because it would cost $4 trillion.
President Obama has pressed for the cuts to be extended for families making $250,000 or less while Republicans want an across-the-board extension.
Pressed on how Congress could function in a divided state in 2011, with a Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate, Reid repeated that the answer lies with GOP leaders.
“When this government was set up in the 18th Century, they knew that there would be problems… This has all happened before,” he said. “The message I repeat today is that the ball is in their court.
“53 (seats), over my long time in the Senate, is a pretty good majority… We’re comfortable where we are, and we have made the message very clear that we want to work with Republicans. If they’re unwilling to work with us, there’s not a thing we can do about that, but the American people can see that like a very slow curve ball.”
The Senate will have some new members in the lame duck. The winners of contests in Delaware, West Virginia and Illinois will be sworn-in immediately. Democrats held two of the seats with Chris Coons (D) winning in Delaware and Joe Manchin (D) winning in West Virginia, but Republicans took Illinois. Rep. Mark Kirk (R) won that seat.
Hopefully the Republicans will warnd the Dems to not propose any legislation....and all problems solved!
I live in Arkansas and we now have TWO Conservative Senators, Pryor and Boozman.....yep, you heard me, TWO...
Harry, you are going to find cooperation within your OWN ranks hard to come by.
Mark Pryor is a self-serving azzhat who will do WHATEVER it takes to survive.
The absolute DRUMMING experienced by dear ole Blanched Lincoln is going to wake Pryor’s sorry azz UP!
NB: They were ELECTED to block your legislation, and Obama’s further SCOTUS picks.
NO MORE SPENDING
NO MORE MARXIST BULLDYKES ON THE SUPREME COURT
ROLL IT BACK
I hope the house really kicks them in the freaking head.
That is not "working with the Republicans" in my book. That's telling them that they better go along with what they (the Dems) say to do . . .
So suck it.
So, in other words, if they don't extend the cuts to wealthy americans it is going to take 4 trillion out of the private sector so the government can spend it. Nice!
YO ... Dingy Harry, Little Dick Turban, Schmucky Schumer...
That’s why the GOP was elected yesterday...
Stupid Marxist IDIOTS.
Hey Harry,
You may have “won” your reelection, but you’re now in a severely weakened position. It’s a markedly different world out there.
So.... STFU.
Reid said, but allowing them for wealthy Americans “is not going to happen” because it would cost $4 trillion.
Harry you lying sack of crap. You are ALREADY NOT getting the 4 Trillion. So it costs you nothing. And it costs you nothing anyway because it is OUT MONEY!
What the new congress will need to do is go on the offensive in the House with hearings that expose the Dims horrible policies. The purpose will be to build public support for repeal of all their crap. Hearings will be needed in healthcare, energy, climate fraud, tax policy etc. Then pass legislation in the House.
Phase II will be the town hells, phone calls and pressure on the stubborn Dims.
With pressure, some of the Dims could weaken-especially those in red states like MO, NE, MT, VA, WI(now red). These guys are up in 2012
With that noted....It is pathetic that we allowed this loser to stay in office by putting up Angle. She was awful and clearly not ready for the job. This guy is sitting with 15% unemployment, has used racial slurs, is weak and an ugly souled man to boot....and we put up someone that can't beat him. Unreal.
Hey, Red! PA’s not so blue anymore! Good on them!!
I WANT that for a bumper sticker!
Someone please give harry a .45 caliber pistol so he can go out on his balcony and shoot it in the air like saddam hussein used to do. (emphasize USED TO DO).
That’s better! lol
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