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Posted on 06/12/2019 2:03:21 PM PDT by jazusamo
When female senators met for dinner on Tuesday night, they hatched a plan borne out of a similar frustration: It was taking the Senate too long to vote.
"This is one of the things that happen when the women get together for dinner. …There was discussion about 'why the heck is this taking so long.' So Lisa said we should all be on the floor, sit on the floor and basically shame the guys to, you know, hurry up and vote," said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
The group, which has nicknamed itself the "efficiency caucus," put the senators' strategy into action during a six-vote series Wednesday. They called for votes to be limited to 10 minutes, remained seated in the chamber and called for "regular order" as votes dragged on.
"Mr. President, just requesting that these 10-minute votes be true 10-minute votes, in fact less than 10 minute votes," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said from the Senate floor after the first two votes took roughly 45 minutes.
The plan appeared to work with the next four votes being wrapped up in less than an hour, a rapid pace for a chamber where one 15-minute vote can easily stretch to a half hour or longer.
"The women decided we should follow regular order and have 10 minute votes. This is the fastest six votes since I've been here," said Hirono, who has been in the Senate since 2013.
Unlike the House's electronic voting system, senators vote by indicating to a floor clerk whether they support a piece of legislation or nomination.
Votes frequently involve senators using the floor time to work colleagues on a bill. If a vote drags on too long, some senators also retreat to off-the-floor cloakrooms or back to their offices, which can slow down any subsequent votes.
"We're calling ourselves the efficiency caucus, we're just hoping that when we have a lot of votes we can get them done in time because we all have a lot of hearings, important things to do," said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
Female senators credited Murkowski for coming up with the plan, with the Alaska senator calling the strategy an act of "civil obedience."
Murkowski could be seen trying to direct senators to their seats as they walked onto the Senate floor. At one point she tried to make a parliamentary inquiry during the second vote but was told it wasn't in order; instead, she stood at her desk and called repeatedly for "regular order."
Female senators also started clapping for their colleagues as they returned to the floor nearly 15 minutes after a vote started. A floor staffer was also seen making a signal to wrap it up, as the vote dragged on.
Asked how they could win over the male senators, who make up a majority of the body she added: "I'm hoping that they will come around. Because this is called the efficiency caucus."
So Mitt finally found a clique to join?
They want US on the highway to hell in high gear.
The “Efficiency Caucus”?????? The most efficient thiMg they could do would be to stay home. We probably don’t need any new laws.
#EndMisandry vote Mazie out of office!
Shaming , sounds like a bunch of Children ,LOL
Just tell her to sit down and shut up
Between shaming, bullying, and triggering (an excuse to relive one’s terrible twos), national discourse is mired in grade school.
Why don’t they do electronic voting as the House does?
Isn’t the reason these votes take so long, because they are all roll call votes?
Do they really need roll call.votes on everything?
Let's wrap this baby up, Folks! Donate Today!
XIX death of this nation
My wife and I discuss things, I say well let’s think about it. She says no I want a decision now and sits down in the middle of the floor. Then I say “ while your there would you wipe up that juice stain you spilled. Oh, and here’s a pillow to sleep with tonight. We’ve been married 48 years. Stupid is not what we do. We think and make good decisions for both of us. I assure you she treats me this way to. Grownups know how to act like grownups. Idiots in DC, not so much.
Well, if the average age of Senators wasn’t just shy of Methuselah they would not have such a problem............
Got to give ‘them’ credit for one thing.
It is a ‘bipartisan’ group.
Note that Black R Congress critters are NOT invited to dine with and caucus with the Black D types.
The ONLY group ‘outlawed’ as far as caucuses go is STRAIGHT WHITE MALES.
They can’t eat alone, crap alone, caucus alone, the ONLY true minority in the group is a SWM.
I used to laugh about (supposedly) failing in business because I kept hiring those white overpaid privileged males when all I had to do was hire Blacks, Minorities, Women and put the difference in my pocket.
Never mind who can do the job, just worry about the gender, race or sexual orientation to be successful.
Crap then, Crap NOW, Crap in the FUTURE.
Are they going to put on those pink hats?
Good. Nagging always produces good results. /s
#Repeal19
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