Joe Biden is now POTUS
- Thread starter Spectrum
- Start date
You keep repeating this but I'm not sure if you actually get what's happening. It's a meaningless title UNTIL THEY SIGN A POWERSHARING AGREEMENT.
There are currently no rules to manage the Senate and by default they continue to operate under the old rules where Mitch was the Majority Leader.
That's why the GOP is actually leading the hearings for Biden's nominees.
Was just coming back here to say that. No way Mitch would let one GOP Senator hold his leadership position hostage. He'd pretty much tell them he'd primary them and cut their funds off.
That's not true. The public option was killed by Joe Leiberman. The ACA was completely partisan.
Dude the dems are in the majority point blank period. Right now they are in talks of power sharing and they are still under the old senate rules.
Yet the majority party can take a vote to change the rules. i.e. the nuclear option and now the rule will be what the senate president says they are.
Who was an independent at that time. There were other republicans who hinted they might vote like Leiberman if the public option was removed but of course they didn't deliver after it was removed.
The standoff in the Senate continues: Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is demanding that Democrats agree in advance to keep the legislative filibuster in place and is refusing to allow Senate business to proceed until they do. The result is that for now, some of President Biden’s agenda remains in limbo.
But it turns out there’s a mini-nuclear option that Democrats could exercise against McConnell, if they so choose.
This option would not do away with the legislative filibuster. Instead, it would only do away with the blockade that McConnell is imposing right at this moment — the one that is preventing the Senate from organizing and starting to get down to business.
Here’s how this would work. Right now, McConnell is filibustering the organizing resolution, which is the power-sharing agreement that would structure the Senate, given that each party has 50 senators (with Vice President Harris breaking ties).
McConnell is demanding that Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democrats agree in advance to never nixing the legislative filibuster. In essence, he’s filibustering the very first step toward allowing Democrats to take over the majority, to force them to keep the legislative filibuster, no matter how extensively he uses it to stymie Biden’s agenda.
Democrats are refusing to make that commitment. While they likely won’t actually do away with the filibuster — moderates Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) are opposed — they want to preserve the option of doing so, as leverage against McConnell abusing it with abandon. McConnell’s position is utterly ludicrous, and Democrats should not cave.
But Democrats could end McConnell’s blockade now. Sarah Binder, a congressional expert at the Brookings Institution, says Democrats could devise a procedural motion to create a new precedent that would apply only to organizing resolutions.
In this scenario, Binder says, Democrats would end the filibuster on organizing resolutions in a targeted way, just as Democrats previously ended filibusters only on executive and judicial nominations but not on Supreme Court nominations, and similar to how McConnell and Republicans expanded that move to end filibusters only on Supreme Court nominations.
“Technically, yes, Democrats could with 50 votes and the vice president detonate a small nuke that only hits organizing resolutions,” Binder told me.
However, Binder added, this would in effect push the Senate further into procedural warfare.
“Each time a majority denotes a nuclear device, it greases the skids for future nukes,” Binder said. For this reason, she noted, Manchin, Sinema and other moderates might be reluctant even to detonate this mini-nuke, meaning Democrats might not have 50 votes for it.
Indeed, Manchin said in an interview that he would not support doing this.
“I will not vote to bust the filibuster under any condition, on anything that you can think of,” Manchin told me. “If you can’t sit down and work with your colleagues on the other side and find a pathway forward, then you shouldn’t be in the Senate.”
“Why would I ... vote on something that would divide us further when Joe Biden is coming in trying to unite the country?” Manchin asked.
When I pointed out that McConnell isn’t letting Democrats take over the Senate, Manchin responded that Schumer and McConnell would have to “sit down and get by this,” adding: “I believe very strongly in bipartisanship.”
Spokespeople for Sinema and Schumer didn’t immediately answer when I asked them if they were open to the mini-nuke option.
The strategic calculations for Democrats here are not easy. In addition to whether 50 Democrats would detonate this mini-nuke, it’s notable that the absurd and radical nature of McConnell’s tactics now might end up strengthening the case among moderates for some sort of filibuster reform. Even the moderates don’t think Schumer should rule out ending the filibuster and think he should keep this in his pocket as leverage.
So it’s possible that threatening the mini-nuke could disrupt this dynamic, driving the moderates further away from reform.
On the other hand, what McConnell is doing is simply intolerable. And there almost certainly will have to be a full blown confrontation at some point. As Carl Hulse puts it:
McConnell is literally holding up the transfer of control of the Senate — temporarily nullifying the outcome of the elections — to try to force them to do this. Democrats can’t allow that.
So other than waiting for McConnell to cave (which might happen, but also might not), what other options does that leave for Democrats?
But it turns out there’s a mini-nuclear option that Democrats could exercise against McConnell, if they so choose.
This option would not do away with the legislative filibuster. Instead, it would only do away with the blockade that McConnell is imposing right at this moment — the one that is preventing the Senate from organizing and starting to get down to business.
Here’s how this would work. Right now, McConnell is filibustering the organizing resolution, which is the power-sharing agreement that would structure the Senate, given that each party has 50 senators (with Vice President Harris breaking ties).
McConnell is demanding that Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democrats agree in advance to never nixing the legislative filibuster. In essence, he’s filibustering the very first step toward allowing Democrats to take over the majority, to force them to keep the legislative filibuster, no matter how extensively he uses it to stymie Biden’s agenda.
Democrats are refusing to make that commitment. While they likely won’t actually do away with the filibuster — moderates Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) are opposed — they want to preserve the option of doing so, as leverage against McConnell abusing it with abandon. McConnell’s position is utterly ludicrous, and Democrats should not cave.
But Democrats could end McConnell’s blockade now. Sarah Binder, a congressional expert at the Brookings Institution, says Democrats could devise a procedural motion to create a new precedent that would apply only to organizing resolutions.
In this scenario, Binder says, Democrats would end the filibuster on organizing resolutions in a targeted way, just as Democrats previously ended filibusters only on executive and judicial nominations but not on Supreme Court nominations, and similar to how McConnell and Republicans expanded that move to end filibusters only on Supreme Court nominations.
“Technically, yes, Democrats could with 50 votes and the vice president detonate a small nuke that only hits organizing resolutions,” Binder told me.
However, Binder added, this would in effect push the Senate further into procedural warfare.
“Each time a majority denotes a nuclear device, it greases the skids for future nukes,” Binder said. For this reason, she noted, Manchin, Sinema and other moderates might be reluctant even to detonate this mini-nuke, meaning Democrats might not have 50 votes for it.
Indeed, Manchin said in an interview that he would not support doing this.
“I will not vote to bust the filibuster under any condition, on anything that you can think of,” Manchin told me. “If you can’t sit down and work with your colleagues on the other side and find a pathway forward, then you shouldn’t be in the Senate.”
“Why would I ... vote on something that would divide us further when Joe Biden is coming in trying to unite the country?” Manchin asked.
When I pointed out that McConnell isn’t letting Democrats take over the Senate, Manchin responded that Schumer and McConnell would have to “sit down and get by this,” adding: “I believe very strongly in bipartisanship.”
Spokespeople for Sinema and Schumer didn’t immediately answer when I asked them if they were open to the mini-nuke option.
The strategic calculations for Democrats here are not easy. In addition to whether 50 Democrats would detonate this mini-nuke, it’s notable that the absurd and radical nature of McConnell’s tactics now might end up strengthening the case among moderates for some sort of filibuster reform. Even the moderates don’t think Schumer should rule out ending the filibuster and think he should keep this in his pocket as leverage.
So it’s possible that threatening the mini-nuke could disrupt this dynamic, driving the moderates further away from reform.
On the other hand, what McConnell is doing is simply intolerable. And there almost certainly will have to be a full blown confrontation at some point. As Carl Hulse puts it:
In other words, McConnell is almost certainly going to filibuster as much as he can of Biden’s agenda, and Democrats will have to confront this at some point. McConnell is just forcing the issue early: He’s demanding that Democrats give up their leverage over him now, so that he can proceed with maximal obstruction.
McConnell is literally holding up the transfer of control of the Senate — temporarily nullifying the outcome of the elections — to try to force them to do this. Democrats can’t allow that.
So other than waiting for McConnell to cave (which might happen, but also might not), what other options does that leave for Democrats?
You are incorrect, sir. There was never any Republican support for the senate version of the ACA. A guy named Mitchell McConnell ensured its death there, but with the vote of a self described democratic independent by the name of Joe Lieberman it passed. Nothing changed in that bill to woo Republicans.
this bitch is a full blown criminal
don’t forget the those 2 senators. Kelly is down 5. But who’s really polling this far out?
This is the only thing that matters right now. Under the old senate rules, who control the Senate? Mitch McConnell. Mitch is effectively holding the Senate hostage right now because he can until they sign that power sharing agreement. Schumer being "Majority Leader" doesn't mean shit right now because he's not running the Senate. Mitch still is. What he's doing now is negotiating with Mitch to determine the terms at which Mitch will turn it over to him. You have no power until you can wield it. Chuck Schumer is Majority Leader in name only.
What do you mean that's all that matters right now? We were discussing what the dems can do and what they can do is use the nuclear option.
The Senate map is tilted in the Democrats direction, but there is no guarantee they will win the Senate.
Especially with this fuckery:
Exactly.
Because, until they wield their power, Mitch McConnell will continue to run the Senate by default..which he is currently doing. I really don't understand what the argument is.
We know the Dems got the 50/50 tie with Harris being the tie-breaker. However, the reality is that until the Dems either come to an agreement with Mitch or wield their power in other ways, Mitch is effectively running the Senate.
Dude Mitch is the minority leader. The previous rules does not keep him the majority leader. Did you even read the article? The dems don't have to wait on an agreement for them to use the nuclear option. They could use it right now and stop Mitch bs and replace committe leaderships.
OMG. Why are you getting caught up on this? It's like you aren't understanding what we're saying. We're not saying that Mitch is LITERALLY the Majority Leader. We're saying that because they don't have a powersharing agreement, he's still effectively running the Senate. Sometimes you act dense as fuck homie.
The nuclear option doesn't mean shit until it's used. Right now, under what rules is the Senate being run? You already know the answer. And who runs the Senate under those rules? And why isn't Schumer running the Senate right now?
It's like the shit is going right over your head.
As of right now, Schumer is Senate Majority Leader in name only. He's not running the Senate TODAY. That's a fact. Why do you keep arguing it. We know it's not literal.
It's all bullshit fellas, save up your cash, get your ass to canada. This place will never change
When your minority rule is so entrenched you're still running the Senate even though your party is still in the minority.
Dems couldn't get their entire caucus to toe the line and Mitch knows it. When Manchin and Sinema came out against the filibuster, he knew he could pull the shit. The Dems can't sign the powersharing agreement with language saying they won't kill the filibuster. If they do, they've lost the game before it started.... even with two senators saying they won't support it.
And Mitch has zero incentive to move forward. And for some fucking reason, he never pays a political price for this type of bullshit.
I know exactly what you are saying and I am saying that Schumer has the power right now and not up and until a power sharing agreement is reached. It's you who don't seem to comprehend what I am telling you.
As far acting dense. If we are talking about what the dems can do and I say they can use the nuclear option. Then why isn't that relevant??
You're saying what he "can" do. We all know that shit.
We didn't' say he won't come into power. We're saying that right now, Mitch is holding the Senate hostage. Schumer is boxed in and doesn't know what to do.
You're talking about hypotheticals. We're talking RIGHT NOW. Right now, Schumer isn't running shit.
Mitch is daring him to take power.
You're still under the impression that the government follows its own rules and works as intended, the patriot act ended that long ago and these racist idiot dinasaurs do whatever the fuck they want. All while the democratats beg for peace and unity and look like giant pussys to the entire country. Tell em this would be going down the same way if the Republicans where in power.
Dude..the poster literally said the dems don't have that option to use the nuclear option until after Mitch relinquish power. As I said Schumer can use that power now. What part don't you understand??
Sinema and Manchin could just say no comment and leave it be. However, they're fucking Schumer on Mitch's behalf by coming out saying unequivocally they won't support nuking the filibuster.
Mitch is teaching Schumer a lesson. If you can't control your caucus in a razor-sharp Senate split, I'm gonna control you. Mitch is making Schumer his bitch right now. On the important issues, Mitch keeps his caucus in line.
Mitch is teaching Schumer a lesson. If you can't control your caucus in a razor-sharp Senate split, I'm gonna control you. Mitch is making Schumer his bitch right now. On the important issues, Mitch keeps his caucus in line.
This is on her constituents failure to properly vet her.
| U.S. Census Bureau (2010 data)[1] |
|---|
| Colorado's 3rd Congressional District |
| Incumbent Lauren Boebert Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): R+6 |
| Population: 719,526 |
| Gender: 50.5% Male, 49.5% Female |
| Race[2]: 88.2% White, 2.3% Native Am. |
| Ethnicity: 24.3% Hispanic |
| Unemployment: 10.2% |
| Median household income $47,012 |
| High school graduation rate 88.7% |
| College graduation rate 29.9% |
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