Posted on 05/12/2018 6:54:59 AM PDT by upchuck
A group of 16 Republican senators are sending Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a serious message Friday: It is time to work full weeks, confirm the president’s nominees and stop wasting precious time while Republicans hold both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Sen. David Perdue of Georgia is leading the charge, calling on McConnell to realize there are only 67 working days left in the 2018 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The coalition of Republican senators are urging McConnell to make the Senate work through Friday and on some weekends (senators typically go home to their districts on Thursday afternoon) and cancel the August recess — a request newer GOP senators and the president asked of leadership in 2017 in order to get action on repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Action is exactly what Perdue and his colleagues want. They want more time in session to confirm the president’s nominees. They want more time in session to get must-pass appropriations bills out of committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote. They are tired of the slow walking pace and don’t want to waste another day when they are in the majority.
Effectively, they want a change in the way the Senate is currently running, which they view as sluggish and increasingly subject to “obstruction” from Democrats.
The White House is on their side as well. White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters at the Capitol Tuesday that the administration would support a delay in the August recess and more time in the Senate because it is their duty to the American people.
“If we reach August and we still have not completed appropriations work or not confirmed our nominees, then of course we would like to see the Congress stay here and do its work,” Short said. “It’s about getting the job done for voters across the country.”
The president urged members of Congress to delay the August recess in early July 2017. McConnell responded to President Donald Trump’s request with an announcement that he would shorten the recess by two weeks to give lawmakers ample time to come to an agreement on the best way to reform health care. The delay in recess only lasted one week, but senators who requested it point to the fact that it helped the chamber confirm nearly 80 of the president’s nominees.
With a few exceptions McConnell republicans have already intentionally wasted a full one third - 16 months - of President Trump’s term.
I suspect they were, and are, dragging their feet waiting for Mueller, or a stroke of lightning, to get rid of the president so they can get back to business as usual.
He might want to spend some time getting rid of that 30-hour debate rule that the dims use to slow up the process.
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In addition to the ‘RATS using it to slow things up, McConnell & the RINOs in the Senate are using it—-HAPPILY!
When republicans lose one of the houses of Congress, they just go home after the election. When Dems lose, they pass as many things as they can during the lame duck session.... likeObamacare.
Just think how good it would be for the country if no legislation or appointment was allowed by any lame duck.
In Tennessee, Kane won GOP primary for mayor.
https://sports.yahoo.com/wrestler-kane-appears-won-gop-primary-mayor-knox-county-tenn-17-votes-030936094.html
Do we do best with sports figures in most states, or just Kentucky?
I’d like to think that this might happen, but I suspect that it will not.
Info is in the article.
“Not all Rs are worthless!”
No, just 70% of them are! And that number goes up to 99% here in CA!
The Senators are:
Perdue
Ernst
Lankford
Cruz
Heller
Lee
Johnson
Cassidy
Wicker
Daines
Fischer
Sullivan
Sasse
Tillis
Kennedy
Rounds
Why? So they can pass more chuck n nancy spending? Cunny. How such a deal never includes wall funding..
Year+ too little, too late.
IMO, just another election year, “Look at what WE attempted\did”
Those in Congress, prior, know how the ‘leadership’ (doesn’t) work. Waiting ‘til mid-terms and the start of yet, ANOTHER, ‘budget bill(s) showdown’ isn’t what I would call PRO-active (least alone ‘active’)
Proud to say I campaigned for David Perdue including hosting a fund raiser
I think I need a nap. For some reason, I read "McConnell" as "McCain", and my first thought is that it's a little early to start the cremation process.
And, FrankR, your proposal gets us back closer to the ‘part time’ legislature envisioned by the Founders.
Sounds good, to me.
The only thing you can count on congressmen doing is spending money without restraint, going on multiple vacations, and giving themselves raises.
True, but what will the Old Guard think when they see so much new blood coming in, to do what they have failed to do for the last 6 years?
I think your estimate is quite low.
Flake withdrew, Corker should get pummeled in the August GOP Primary, McCain SHOULD retire but his cancer may beat him to it...
Then there are only 11 GOP seats up for grabs, and only NEV went for Hillary, so they should not lose many seats, even with the RNC trying to throw the majority away.
Then there are 23 DEM seats up for election, and ELEVEN are in play in states that Trump won. Even on a bad day, the GOP should get at least 5-6 of those. Current polling shows 8-9 going GOP. That's 4 RINOs faces gone, 8-9 DEMs gone, 2-3 new DEM faces, and 10-12 new GOP faces (about 1/4 of the entire Senate!!).
In a week congress could resolve many issues.
It takes years for them to do nothing.....!
Most are.
As has always been the case, they will remind the freshmen exactly who it is that hold the power over plum committee assignments.
Just look back at how McConnell was re-nominated in '16 and then re-elected by the Senate in '17........unanimously.
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