Posted on 03/28/2019 12:48:45 PM PDT by jazusamo
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed a procedural motion Thursday to set up a rules change in the Senate next week that will speed up votes to confirm President Trump’s nominees to federal district courts and sub-Cabinet-level executive branch positions.
McConnell filed cloture — a motion to cut off dilatory debate — on a motion to proceed to Senate Resolution 50, which would dramatically reduce the amount of time Trump’s nominees have to spend on the floor and let Republicans confirm more of his picks.
The resolution would reduce the amount of floor time that must elapse between when the Senate votes to invoke cloture on a nominee and when a final vote is held from 30 hours to 2 hours.
“I come to the floor to discuss the unprecedented obstruction that has faced President Trump’s nominees for the past 26 months and counting and to announce the Senate is going to do something about it,” McConnell said on the floor.
McConnell’s action Thursday sets up a vote next week on what would be a permanent standing order to reduce debate time for district court and most executive branch nominees. It needs 60 votes to pass.
Senate Republicans say if Democrats stop the resolution from getting 60 votes, they will go ahead with the nuclear option, a controversial tactic used to set a new Senate precedent, and essentially rewrite the Senate rules, with a simple majority vote.
It’s called the nuclear option because it’s viewed as a drastic escalation of partisan warfare.
“The status quo is unsustainable for the Senate,” McConnell said. “It’s unfair to this president and the future presidents of either party. It cannot stand… it will not stand.”
Long overdue. Just be careful not to approve another Roberts!
The “nuclear” label doesn’t have the same sting as it used to have. It is very worn out.
It is long overdue. It’s been obvious for decades that the democrats no longer play fairly. Time to play the game by the same sickening set of rules they’ve forced on the rest of us.
It should be called the “testiclear option”.
The “nuclear” label doesn’t have the same sting as it used to have. It is very worn out.
...
But it’s kind of awkward to say the matter antimatter option.
“nuclear”
BS. Show me.
The democrappic lies and obstructionism - and the depths they sank to in the judge kavanaugh hearings - prove they’re nothing more than an Enrmy Within - to be defeated, not compromised with nor enabled
This guy is seriously getting on my nerves.
It’s been 26 months since Trump was inaugurated.
We still have many people awaiting confirmation.
Why doesn’t McConnell just wait until August of 2020. I mean, what’s the hurry A.H.?
Hope it applies to ALL nominees. Not just judges.
Trump has been obstructed from filling many administration positions.
I understand the holdup the end of last year with the narrow majority and that turkey Flake there.
I don’t understand why McConnell has waited this long this year when it should have the first thing he did instead of waiting until now.
McConnell must sense that the winds are blowing favorably for Trump.
Yep, it says it will apply to most executive branch nominees also.
I prefer to call it the “Squish The Huge Bug With A Large Flat Rock Option”!
Actually, he should have done this after six months. They’ve (the Democrats) been acting like spoiled children, trying to prevent Trump from instituting his Constitutional duties.
IMO < I don’t think McConnell was much more supportive than the Democrats in truth. He let them rule the roost on the nominees.
It’s a rather hollow claim that some appointment records have been set, when we have so many nominees still hanging more than half way through Trump’s first term.
They have played scorched earth for half of Trump’s first term, and McConnell sat there playing patty-cake instead of taking decisive measures.
He and Ryan, man what a pair of losers...
It’s the right time. After the McConnell vote on the Green New Deal and all the salt that caused, I’m ready, we’re ready, to forge on ahead.
McConnell should just change it from the nuclear option to the Reid option. This way if Democrats ever take back the Senate and they try this, they will be invoking the Reid Option.
He was waiting for the Mueller report outcome. Bet on it.
Of course that tired old concept of a speedy trial,which can only be accomplished if you have enough judges, can just go to hell.
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