Senate Adopts New Rules on Filibusters

Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/21/13 | By Janet Hook And Kristina Peterson

[SoFloFreeper]

A bitterly divided Senate voted Thursday to ease the confirmation process for most presidential nominees, a momentous and potentially risky step that limits the ability of Republicans to block President Barack Obama's choices for executive-branch and most judicial posts.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) engineered the rules change, over Republican objections, with a complicated parliamentary maneuver that ended up placing new curbs on the use of the filibuster—a move so controversial that it is often called the "nuclear option."

"The American people believe Congress is broken. The American people believe the Senate is broken…It's time to change the Senate before this institution becomes obsolete," Mr. Reid said.

The key vote was 52-48, with all but three Democrats voting for the change and all Republicans opposed. Democratic Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Joe Manchin of West Virginia broke from their party and voted against changing the rules.

snip

[SoFloFreeper]

Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it!

http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/nazifica.htm

[SoFloFreeper]

see post 181

[bert]

Yep......

[itsahoot]

Doesn’t matter.

I think you missed the point. A simple majority to change the rules, means in fact there are no rules. The simple majority is now free to do whatever it pleases, simply change the rules.

[luvie]

Praying we get the majority next year and this bites them in the butt!

However, when did a dem ever follow any rules. Whereas the R’s do. They should go on a rant and refuse to comply!

[itsahoot]

So the Democrats ended the unfair filibuster that they used to block 23 Bush nominees.

Yep.

Sadly that is not the dangerous part of this game. They changed the rules with a simple majority, which effectively means there are no rules, only 50+1 can now rule the Senate.

[Labyrinthos]

Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Joe Manchin (W.V.) and Carl Levin (Mich.) voted with Republicans against the rule change.

This is so BS and their opponents in their next election cycle need to call them on their sham vote. Here's why: Under Article I Sec.5.1 of the Constitution, a quorum to conduct Senate business requires the presence of 51 senators. Reid passed the rule chage with 52 votes -- 50 RATs and 2 independents. Three RATs voted with the Republican's against the rule change. If all of the Republicans and two of the three dissenting RATs had boycotted todays proceedings, then the senate would have lacked the quorum needed to make the rule change.

[cotton1706]

“Mccain vote against with the rest of the repubs.”

Yeah, so what. Did he gather a gang to “preserve the customs and traditions of the senate?”

Remember when McCain went all apoplectic when Ted Cruz objected to forming a conference, because that was not how things were done and it was going against custom?

McCain is a democrat handmaiden who loved sticking it to Bush and loves helping Obama and the democrats.

[SoFloFreeper]

I agree they believe this is their endgame...or at least a major portion thereof.

In a few weeks or months, they’ll try, and succeed, in applying this to other legislation.

Hitlery remains silent, gleefully anticipating taking the power.

And all the while we will see wicked men being appointed to positions of authority, and nothing legally in the Senate to stop them.

But hey, some folks here are fine with that.

[IamConservative]

Since a simple majority can change the Senate rules, there are as a matter of practice no rules now. So, Harry could adopt the UN Treaty on Gun control w/ 50 votes. Poof! No more 2nd Amendment.

Has to be something more sinister lurking. I don’t think the Dems would do this for a Circuit Court judge..

[Jacquerie]

It is time to end the oligarchy running this country.

Amen, 'bro.

Worth repeating: RETURN POWER TO THE STATES!

[Nahhh I Dont Think So]

" There have been two special elections to the Senate recently and two left wing Democrats were elected, Markey in Massachusetts and Booker in New Jersey. Blue states are still blue." As I said, its the Great Lake States they are about to lose according to trends and polls. Holding only the Coasts will not be enough seats to contol the Senate anytime soon.

[Red Steel]

Well, that might be good for stopping legislative bills, but the House has NO say in the nomination process, so it won't affect packing the executive and judicial branch with potentially despotic or partisan hacks.

Right.

[Gene Eric]

The 4 letter part of führer

[EQAndyBuzz]

I get it. Republicans should use that against the Rats.

[luvie]

Unfortunately, I agree with him, too. :(

[INVAR]

You are operating under the delusion that elections and politics are the same numbers game they always were.

You have absolutely no clue what time it is, or who is ruling us now.

[DoughtyOne]

Anyone remember when the Republicans were proposing to do this? The Left came unglued. It was the worst thing they’d ever heard of.

Now, it’s the most brilliant think they’ve ever heard of.

Well folks, looks like we’ll be sweeping out a lot of Lefties come 2017. With this new rule, the Left may just have handed us all the power we’ll ever need to unravel them.

Then we can put the rule back up and beyond, say 75%.

LMAO

[DoughtyOne]

Exactly!

[RedMDer]

Can the nominees still be stopped in commitee and not get to the floor?