GOP leader insists filibuster is safe as Republicans prepare to go nuclear on rules

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Hill


BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 04/03/19 02:30 PM EDT

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made the case for keeping the legislative filibuster on Wednesday, minutes before Republicans are set to trigger the “nuclear option” to change the rules and speed up consideration of nominations.

“Let me be absolutely clear. The legislative filibuster is central to the nature of the Senate. It has always been and must always be the distinctive qualify of this institution,” McConnell said from the Senate floor.

He added that senators in both parties believe “this part of the Senate’s DNA must never be put in jeopardy or sacrificed to serve either side’s partisan, momentary wins.”

McConnell’s floor speech comes as the GOP effort to change the rules to cut down on the time it takes to confirm nominees has sparked fresh concerns about the legislative filibuster, which requires that legislation gets 60 votes before it can pass the chamber.


Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/437207-gop-leader-insists-filibuster-is-safe-as-republicans-prepare-to-go-nuclear-on

[maxsolomon]

1. Blowing smoke up America's ass 24/7

2020.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. A lame duck Trump-Republicon Senate will re-instate the rules before a Democratic majority sits. .nt

[cstanleytech]

4. At which time our guys should enact payback of 3x what they did as a lesson to rub

their noses in it.

[ArizonaLib]

6. The when the Dems Senators have the majority they can change the rules to eliminate the filibuster

But in the past after Republicans have gone nuclear, the Dems reinstate the filibuster rules and therefore require the 60 votes to pass any of the House's legislation, which is mind bending for me. I don't understand allowing the Republicans to filibuster block so much, including judiciary nominations after the Republicans eliminate the filibuster rules for their own benefit. I guess it comes with being in a party that refuses to adopt a 'win-at-all cost' attitude.

[moose65]

9. Wait, what?

Last edited Thu Apr 4, 2019, 06:53 PM - Edit history (1)

When did THAT happen? As far as I know, Democrats have never changed the rules back when they gained power in the Senate. Did I miss something?? Neither party has ever changed the rules for the legislative filibuster in recent years.

[ArizonaLib]

12. The republicans went nuclear under Bush-Cheney

Then when the Dems returned to majority reinstated it. The Dems did make an exception when Shelby from Alabama kept blocking Dem nominations, but only after it got ridiculous.

[moose65]

13. I can't find a reference to that anywhere

Do you have any proof of your claim?

[ArizonaLib]

14. Here is part of it:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-senate-majority-changes-yield-changes-of-heart-on-filibusters/2015/03/10/8b859a96-c6a2-11e4-b2a1-bed1aaea2816_story.html

About 3/4 of the way down the page:

"In November 2013, Reid used the “nuclear option” to change the rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold on all presidential nominations except for the Supreme Court, inciting a Republican outcry of injustice that appears to have lasted only through Election Day 2014."

[moose65]

16. Yeah, I knew about that

Democrats changed the rules for nominations (except the Supreme Court) due to the unprecedented obstruction from McConnell and Republicans. But you said they changed the rules during Bush/Cheney. The nomination changes happened in 2013. And I don't see anything about Democrats changing the rules back, as you claimed.

[ArizonaLib]

17. You said you didn't know anything about what I posted - sounds like you should do your own research

I found information on it in several places. Each session both houses enact their own rules in January of the year the new congress starts. At that time they decide what their rules will be and they are often different from the previous one, particularly if the majority party changes.

Every time I googled, I found lots of good stuff.

[moose65]

18. This is what I was talking about

Yes, I can find lots of information about the so-called "nuclear option." However, I can't find anything related to the following thing that you said:

"But in the past after Republicans have gone nuclear, the Dems reinstate the filibuster rules and therefore require the 60 votes to pass any of the House's legislation"

When did THAT happen? The Republicans have NEVER done away with the 60-vote threshold for legislation, after which the Dems changed the rules back to 60 votes. I can't research something that has never happened!

[ArizonaLib]

15. Here is another part:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mcconnell-went-nuclear-confirm-gorsuch-democrats-changed-senate-filibuster-rules-n887271

It contains more history of the nuclear option. In looking for these articles there appear to be numerous more instances than I knew about or remembered. Also, as I understand, the filibuster is not named in the constitution, but the constitution grants the Senate the right to create its own rules and therefore have the right to create filibuster rules.

Moose65, it was good of you to ask about this - I took some time out and learned a lot.

[Dawson Leery]

10. Democrats must remove the filibuster again.

The GOP cannot have it both ways.

[hibbing]

3. FU ahole n/t

[mbusby]

5. No problem....

...after winning in 2020, add two more judges to the SCOTUS and funnel all road blocks to the SCOTUS. Roosevelt threatened to do it under a republican SCOTUS.

[mountain grammy]

7. they just did it.. mother fucker Mitch McConnell

may he rot, wish I believed in hell.

[House of Roberts]

8. Funny how it only took 51 votes to give billionaire tax breaks.

That better be all it takes to remove them.

[DrToast]

11. Sadly I think he's right. Democrats seem to be okay with it too.

[Bettie]

19. Does anyone actually believe anything he says

anymore? Ever? He lies almost as much as Mango Mussolini.