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Senate GOP plots to advance rule change for Trump picks by March
The Hill ^ | January 28, 2019 | Jordain Carney

Posted on 01/28/2019 3:13:03 PM PST by jazusamo

Senate Republicans are planning to advance a proposal that would dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to advance hundreds of Trump nominees by the end of March.

Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, said the Rules Committee, which he oversees, would take up the proposal.

“I’m looking at the first quarter of the year,” Blunt said, asked about a timeline for taking up the change.

The timeline, which was first reported by Politico, is the latest sign that Republicans are feeling bullish about changing the rules for President Trump’s nominees after discussing the idea at a retreat earlier this month.

Currently nominations face up to an additional 30 hours of debate time even after they’ve cleared an initial vote that shows they have the simple majority support needed to pass.

But the proposal being discussed by Republicans, which was introduced by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) during the previous Congress, would cut the debate time down to eight hours. It would further cap post-cloture debate time for district court nominations at two hours.

The proposal, which hasn’t formally been reintroduced in the 116th Congress, would not apply to Supreme Court nominees, circuit court nominees or most Cabinet picks.

Republicans have been fuming for years over the slow pace of confirmation votes on Trump’s pick, accusing Democrats of misusing the chamber rulebook to drag out otherwise uncontroversial nominees.

Republicans are expected to try to implement the the rules change as a standing order, which would require 60 votes. But nominations have become increasingly partisan during the Trump administration and it’s unlikely they would be able to get enough support from Democrats.

If they can’t get Democratic support, Republicans are publicly floating using the “nuclear option”— which would let them change the rules with only a simple majority.

Republicans held only a 51-seat majority last year, leaving them unable to push through the proposal because of opposition from some moderate members. But a larger 53-seat majority during the current Congress gives them more leeway to muscle through the change.

Sen. Todd Young (Ind.), the chairman of the Senate GOP campaign arm, told radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this month that he thought Senate Republicans could quickly take up the maneuver.

“This needs to happen for the good of the country. And I think there’ll be some Democrats who’ll be warm to this idea as well,” he said at the time.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 116th; 30hourrule; abortion; brettkavanaugh; confirmations; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; jordaincarne; maga; mediawingofthednc; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; royblunt; scotus; smearmachine; thehill; thehillary; theshill; trump; trumpnominations; ussenate
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To: jazusamo
The bigger issue is that there are 1200 positions which require Senate confirmation. This is nuts. There should be a few dozen at most.

Alternately, after a few weeks to study the list, all nominees are up for confirmation as a group, unless 51 Senators sign a petition to remove specific individuals from the list for further hearings.

21 posted on 01/28/2019 3:37:51 PM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: jazusamo
Wikipedia has a more complete recounting of the Sumner caning.

Preston Brooks had an accomplice, Carolina Representative Laurence M. Keitt, who is said to have kept assistance for Sumner at bay with another cane and a pistol.

Wikipedia's assertions of assistance by Keitt are all dated in the 21st century. I looked at those sources, and did not find any mention of a pistol.

22 posted on 01/28/2019 3:43:43 PM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: jazusamo

plots?


23 posted on 01/28/2019 3:46:20 PM PST by dontreadthis (A TIMELINE OF TREASON on Profile Page)
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To: Hojczyk

Give us the Senate and House and The President and we will do all these things...NOTHING
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Then ‘THEY’ have the unmitigated gall to ‘blame’ President Trump.

Very seldom does one see a ‘bail out’ from the party of the winners ... And yes, as someone stated yesterday, those that stayed home and didn’t vote for the R for whatever reason, are just as bad as the RINOs that tried/are trying to derail the President.


24 posted on 01/28/2019 3:46:57 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"Getting rich as a Politician means doing something illegal''(trunc) HS Truman)
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To: Shadow44

The means are the end.


25 posted on 01/28/2019 3:47:22 PM PST by coaster123 (Bring back the curtsy.)
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To: Shadow44
Do it. Who cares about precedent, the Democrats will do it anyway once they regain power...that is the reality of the situation we’re now in.

Bingo! That reality includes the fact our voting base is diminishing thanks to the education system, the MSM, the "artists" and executives in the entertainment industry, the RINO's and our easily-rigged-at-the-state-level election systems.

(And I am an optimist by nature.)

26 posted on 01/28/2019 3:50:21 PM PST by frog in a pot (Result of many state bailouts? Taxpayers elsewhere in America get to finance the Left's growth.)
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To: frog in a pot

And while they are at it, ask Mitch why he doesn’t put the Senate in recess for even a second while Trump is President. Who is he helping by doing that?


27 posted on 01/28/2019 3:52:39 PM PST by siberianheat
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To: Ann Archy; dontreadthis

Yep, this piece is from The SHill.


28 posted on 01/28/2019 3:53:41 PM PST by jazusamo (Have You Donated to Keep Free Republic Up and Running?)
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To: SmokingJoe
...would not apply to Supreme Court nominees, circuit court nominees or most Cabinet picks.

And just why the heck not?

Our gentlemen R's did not want to ruffle any D feathers at the negotiation table?

It is very risky for political amateurs like me to criticize the professionals but it seems to me we get our ass handed to us at a 20 to 1 ratio even when we hold a majority position.

29 posted on 01/28/2019 4:01:02 PM PST by frog in a pot (Result of many state bailouts? Taxpayers elsewhere in America get to finance the Left's growth.)
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To: jazusamo

Imagine if the Republicans, who were fighting against Trump as hard as the Democrats, had done this 1 1/2 years ago.


30 posted on 01/28/2019 4:05:57 PM PST by Robert DeLong
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

To: Hojczyk
Well, capt'n obvious here, but even if the 'Republicans' hold the numerical majority, it's still not necessarily a conservative majority. Too many GOPe RINOs mucking up the works.
32 posted on 01/28/2019 4:10:50 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
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To: jazusamo

RINO Blunt is looking forward to re-election. Otherwise, he’s still SWAMP.


33 posted on 01/28/2019 4:22:13 PM PST by Ben Hecks
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To: jazusamo

The demoncraps do stuff cuz they can - like a dog when he licks his private parts.


34 posted on 01/28/2019 4:28:55 PM PST by Slyfox (Not my circus, not my monkeys)
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To: Slyfox

Ha! That’s a great description of the RATs, and true.


35 posted on 01/28/2019 4:33:20 PM PST by jazusamo (Have You Donated to Keep Free Republic Up and Running?)
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To: jazusamo

Make a simple majority! To hell with the 60 votes!! Jacka$$ pubes will bind themselves now, while the rats will use nuclear option anyway. What a bunch of dumbasses!


36 posted on 01/28/2019 4:50:37 PM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: jazusamo

It’s a gall durned PLOT! Git on the wire!!!


37 posted on 01/28/2019 5:09:49 PM PST by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
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To: shelterguy

No one believes repubs are “fuming.”


38 posted on 01/28/2019 5:11:02 PM PST by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
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To: jazusamo

The process as designed, would take 14 years to fill the normal vacancies when Administrations change (every 4-8 years), if the opposition demands the full time for each one.

So that’s what the Dems have done - spitefully require the max time for each one, with no basis beyond blatant obstruction.

The rules have to change.


39 posted on 01/28/2019 5:11:17 PM PST by BeauBo
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Plan -- not plot, not scheme. Jordain Carne is yet another shill at The Hill.

40 posted on 01/28/2019 5:22:59 PM PST by SunkenCiv (and btw -- https://www.gofundme.com/for-rotator-cuff-repair-surgery)
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