Posted on 11/16/2007 11:36:32 AM PST by seanmerc
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to keep the chamber in session over the Thanksgiving break to block President Bush from making any unsavory recess appointments while Senators are out of town.
Does it matter? Less taxpayer expense to be charged back for trips home. More taxpayer expense for liquid refreshment in the Senate Chamber to celebrate their good luck at being in D.C. for this holiday. I still wonder ... will they actually get any work done? Nah! That’s too much to ask for.
Snort!!
Hey! A little beverage warning next time!!
[furiously wipes tea off monitor]
;-)
what a grossly ungentleman-like behavior on the part of Dingy Harry Reid...
You can bet this loathsome troll will be on the first plane out of DC. Wonder who will stay behind to mind the store? Does anyone know how many senators it takes to keep the chamber in session?
LOL!
I think this is going to be a virtual “session” in which all the Senators will go home and just leave a light on in the meeting chamber.
If the Repubs tried this, the MSN would scream “unconstitutional” or some such.
what a bunch of liberal crap
Call Dingy's bluff and watch him fold up. The moonbats would really be pissed once Bush tells Dingy he's gonna do it and Dingy still goes home.
I think the lady at the McCain rally thought Dingy was running for President.
Of course the Defense Budget is in very bad shape and we are running low on ammo in Iraq but this is a special case in order to "Do the peoples business."
Out of 100 Senators..how many have already made plans and will be out of the region? 90?
Whatever Reid means in his statement...will not occur. And if Reid is this stupid...I’d arrange for Bush to personally walk down to the Senate and sit near the front door...inviting the boys over to the White House for a drink...tempting them....and as soon as they walk out....punch up the recess appointments immediately.
There is a danger for Harry here ... it is a parliamentary game, not putting the Senate in recess. Recess would let the members go home, safe in the knowledge that business could not be condiucted. However, if the session is kept open, could not a sufficient number of Senators show up, constitute a quorum, and conduct business? it would make for an interesting game of chicken, if nothing else!
Is he going to pull the same thing at Christmas? If not, the President could stick his fork in this turkey then.
Hell, If I were Bush I’d try a recess appointment as soon as Reid’s feet hit the ground or better yet while his plane just took off just to make him hurry back and then I’d do it all over again...
I am so tired of these bloviating windbags and gelded Republicans.
Comity my @$$..
The worst was Frist, Stop being congenial,they only stuck in your back when you weren't looking.
Bring back the filibuster of the 60's!
Where is an energy bill for energy independence? Medicare/Medicade-SSI reform? Where is my secure border? Nothing is being fixed! If I did this to my house the building inspector would throw me out! Make them stand their without pee breaks the whole darn bunch of them overpaid louts!
There, I feel better now...
quorum - The number of Senators that must be present for the Senate to do business. The Constitution requires a majority of Senators (51) for a quorum. Often, fewer Senators are actually present on the floor, but the Senate presumes that a quorum is present unless the contrary is shown by a roll call vote or quorum call.
Further...
quorum call - A call of the roll to establish whether a quorum is present. If any Senator "suggests the absence of a quorum," the Presiding Officer must direct the roll to be called. Often, a quorum call is terminated by unanimous consent before completion, which permits the Senate to use the quorum call to obtain a brief delay to work out some difficulty or await a Senator's arrival.
It looks like your suspicion could be correct. A handful of Republicans could show up and without any dissent proclaim a quorum by unanimous consent. They could pass military funding, vote on judges and make mayhem. How delicious.
RULE VI
QUORUM—ABSENT SENATORS MAY BE SENT FOR
1. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Senators
duly chosen and sworn.
2. No Senator shall absent himself from the service of
the Senate without leave.
3. If, at any time during the daily sessions of the Senate, a question shall be raised by any Senator as to the presence of a quorum, the Presiding Officer shall forthwith direct the Secretary to call the roll and shall announce the result, and these proceedings shall be without debate.
4. Whenever upon such roll call it shall be ascertained
that a quorum is not present, a majority of the Senators
present may direct the Sergeant at Arms to request, and,
when necessary, to compel the attendance of the absent
Senators, which order shall be determined without debate;
and pending its execution, and until a quorum shall be
present, no debate nor motion, except to adjourn, or to recess pursuant to a previous order entered by unanimous
consent, shall be in order.
From “STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE”
Looks like Chaney, the President of the Senate, is going to have some fun next weekend.
Ungentlemanly move? Maybe somebody in his home state told him they would all be more Thanksful this year if he didn’t come home because they had enough turkeys there already??
Bush needs to go on National TV and outline the progress being made on the ground in Iraq and talk about the fact that Congress is on vacation without providing the funds for our troops who are on the front lines.
Hey... it's Thanksgiving
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