Posted on 12/05/2012 12:00:42 PM PST by pabianice
...Alternatively, the GOP could threaten to shut down the Senate entirely. This is technically doable. ”Keep in mind that a lot of what Senate leaders do day to day is done by unanimous consent,” explains Binder. If a single senator started objecting to every little motion and maneuver, it would become impossible to conduct any legislative business at all. Some examples:
– A 500-page amendment is brought to the floor, and the bill manager wants to dispense with the reading of the amendment? All a senator has to say is, “I object,” and it’s time to start reading all 500 pages out loud.
– The Senate leader wants to waive the rule that prevents committees from meeting while the Senate is in session? A single senator can object, and, suddenly, committees can’t meet.
– Reid wants to adjourn the Senate until Jan. 3? “I object.”
Any senator can do this at any time, if he or she is so inclined. Indeed, as Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute explains, this is basically what happens when a senator places a “hold” on a White House nominee. The senator is threatening to deny unanimous consent if the nomination goes forward.
There are a few precedents in the past for lawmakers bogging down the Senate. Back in 2010, then-Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) managed to deny unanimous consent for days on end in order to prevent the Senate from passing an unemployment benefits package that he thought needed to be paid for. His maneuvers earned him plenty of negative press. Other senators pleaded with him. Bunning simply shrugged and replied, “Tough shit.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Sounds like something democrats would do if the shoe was on the other foot. Tell the republicans, “No Guts, No Glory”.
Reid is such communist scum.
What’s that Star Wars movie line about the Republic ending with applause? Somehow the irony of how it happened and who actually ended it has no doubt been lost on that fatass George Lucas.
But regardless, the Republic is in fact dead. Welcome to the USSA; enjoy your stay, comrade.
I remember years ago, Alabama had a Senator named Allen. I can’t recall his first name. He unfortunately died at a young age but he was a master of procedures.
There was one time when he single handedly stopped one of Senator Kennedy’s bills. We need another one like him.
Is this like “Deemed Passed” by the Dems?
Is this Harry Reid revising the filibuster rules when he screamed in support of them 7 years ago under GWB?
Is this tyrannical Executive Orders allowing open borders, US citizen surveillance and actual killing of US citizens without Congressional approval?
Is this unelected Czars and Bureaucrats/Agencies dictating the fate of thousands of businesses at failed junk science and far-Left beehive-housing schemes?
Oh, that stuff.
Never mind the GOP having guts.
All of these ideas require something that the GOP is without - well, somethings, more accurately. Even supposing they WANT to.
The amount of courage in the Whig Party is as a pimple on a flea's antenna.
I love it when people don’t recall history, much less very recent history. The 2012 Democrat Convention, 2/3rds voice majority to amend the party platform - the long and short is: You can object until you are blue in the face, but if the chair doesn’t care to hear you, it does no good.
LOL, now this is what I am talking about. Fighting!
Now this was the post that brightened my day, just the thought of it makes me laugh, its so evil.
” LOL, now this is what I am talking about. Fighting!”
A strange word these days....
looks like a job for Rand Paul...he could make their lives miserable, and get all kinds of air time too...
I have no faith in these spineless GOP “leaders”.
Allen West for Speaker, then Walker/West 2016.
Purge the RINOs, fight the Dems, f*** em all.
I recall MarkLevin was calling for Rs to do this over GWB's judges being blocked in ~ 2006 but the gang of 14 made a deal with each other to stop the rules change, which was just as well as Rs lost the Senate the next year..
According to the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Ballin (1892), changes to Senate rules could be achieved by a simple majority, but only on the 1st day of the session in January or March. Nevertheless, under current Senate rules, a rule change itself could be filibustered, with two-thirds of those senators present and voting (as opposed to the normal three-fifths of those sworn) needing to vote to break the filibuster.[44] Despite this written requirement, the possibility exists that the filibuster could be changed by majority vote, but only on the 1st day of the session in January or March, using the so-called nuclear option, also sometimes called the constitutional option by proponents. Even if a filibuster attempt is unsuccessful, the process takes floor time
Wika: Filibuster
” I have no faith in these spineless GOP “leaders”.
Allen West for Speaker, then Walker/West 2016.”
A real ticket?
I forgot what one looks like : )
Not just Rand Paul, there are others that need to prove they are conservative and with America. Jim DeMint, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz to name a few.
This ploy is a great idea!
I’m still bettin dingy harry backs down before he does the stupid.
I’ve actually brought this exact tactic up many times. Any single senator can bring the chamber to its knees but it actually takes guts. Unfortunately, we are being lied to by our government. We haven’t actually had two separate parties for many, many years.
the house republican majority can also refuse to pass anything pushed though using the new rules
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