Posted on 11/21/2013 9:52:06 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
Edited on 11/21/2013 9:53:53 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
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.
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Certainly McCain owns his errors BUT the AZ electorate is his enabler. Its an electorate problem more than a legislator problem. Lets just be completely clear on where the real problem lies.
I’m not counting on the 2014 takeover. The Democrats have figured out how to rig the state-wide votes.
The specific rules change is irrelevant. If the majority can break the rules to change the rules, there are no rules.
“This is what mobacracy looks like!”
So, educate me quickly. Is this the “nuclear option” we’ve heard so much about?
And if so, does anyone think they’d do this without knowing they had Majority-For-Life status?
Excellent question although the filibusterer is not in the Constitution, it is the last remnant of what was the US Republic. With the Direct Election of Senators, the Chamber is like to house using the power of the federal government to bring home the bacon. Without term limits, they are entrenched power houses with ego to large to control.
We are no longer a Republic.
Didn’t they change the rules when they passed “Commiecare”???
Theoretically a GOP Congress with a GOP President could eliminate the filibuster in order to expand the courts. Then fill the seats with Conservatives. Like FDR tried with his SCOTUS packing scheme.
This shouldn’t be called the Nuclear Option anymore. It should be called exactly what it is: the Democrat Court-Packing Scheme
Harry is being obedient to his marching orders from the White House. Obama wants those sycophant judges in place now. I’ll bet every one of them was hand selected by Jarrett and placed in such a way as to block further challenges to Obamacare and state abortion laws.
I think they ‘deemed’ it passed to see what’s in it.
Don’t worry! If Cruz becomes prez, and the dems still hold the senate, they’ll change the rule back on the last day of their session in 2016. And, if they lose the Senate in 2014, they’ll change the rule back right before they adjourn.
Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Joe Manchin (W.V.) and Carl Levin (Mich.) voted with Republicans against the rule change.
Dims know what's dirty, and run from their own filth only during tough campaign times.
I hope these sleaze balls ^ are completely exposed on this - and the 0Care distancing - and ousted for good in 2014.
there are no rules
...and on day 1 of the new senate the GOP will change it right back.
you would think...but the GOPe is too stooopid to realize it...didn’t Mark Levin’s legal group win a momentous battle where the court ruled obummer’s recess appointments were in violation of the Constitution??? has the GOPe done anything with that court ruling??
We are now a banana republic. Forward comrades!!
That's why I don't get it -- setting this precedent means the GOP can do the same thing the next time they're in the White House -- and, further, could repeal (or make major changes to) Obamacare in 2017 with just a majority vote. All that for a handful of crappy judicial nominees (and perhaps zero Supreme Court nominees before the 2014 elections)?
I’d feel pretty good if people wanted to hire me for a job so much they blew up decades-old rules to do it.
So you were opposed to filibuster reform when the Republicans were running things and the Dems were blocking things?
I’ll give the Dems props... they had the guts to do it. The Republicans never did.
No,they won’t.Already got that covered.Rush just said there is language in the bill that says if the Senate changes hands in 2014 the rule goes back to 60.Rules for thee but not for me.
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