Mitch McConnell Shuts Down the Senate
Going to Wait out our Judicial Nominees, are you? Here -- have a listen to *this*!
By Jeff Emanuel Posted in Congress | Democratic Obstructionism | Judges — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats pledged to hold a confirmation vote on three of President Bush's Circuit Court nominees prior to Memorial Day, then broke their word and allowed only one to be considered on the floor, thinking that their continued obstructionism in the face of a Republican minority and lame-duck President would go unchallenged and without consequence.
Today, Senate Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell (R-KY), began to pay back the Democrats for their obstructionist, bullying tactics.
Mitch McConnell shut down the floor today by forcing the clerk to read all 500 or so pages of Barbara Boxer’s climate change bill, making it essentially impossible for anything to happen in the Senate all day (or, technically, until the reading is complete).
In addition to stopping all progress on the legislation currently on the floor, this action will have the effect of throwing off Reid’s entire legislative calendar (yes, the same one he somehow "forgot" to add those promised pre-Memorial Day confirmation votes to).
There are few things the minority can do in the Senate more disruptive to the Majority than removing their ability to manage the floor. Reid and Boxer (D-CA) have been seen very agitatedly conversing on the floor during the reading (clearly, Boxer neither wants to hear, nor wants anybody else to hear, her bill read in so public a location as the Senate chamber).
McConnell's action is designed to send a very specific message to Reid, Boxer, Leahy, and the rest of the Senate Democrats that Republicans will not stand by while they hedge, obstruct, and otherwise refuse to move on the nominations of qualified judges to the bench.
Read on.
How does this work? By disallowing the hallowed Senate principle of Unanimous Consent.
Sen. Boxer offered up a substitute amendment to the bill this morning. That bill was to be the basis of the day's debate. Ordinarily, the clerk would simply read the title of a bill aloud, and then turn things over to the floor leader, who would then then request Unanimous Consent to dispense with a further reading of the bill.
McConnell denied that consent today, instead forcing the clerk to read aloud the entire substitute amendment by Boxer.
While the clerk is reading, no Senators can speak, except to ask for consent to dispense with reading of the bill or make a motion to adjourn -- both of which will be denied -- and no further amendments can be offered.
When the reading is completed, Reid, Durbin, Boxer, et al will take to the floor to gripe and protest and accuse the GOP of stalling their climate change bill out of a desire to avoid debate.
Republicans, though, are eager to debate this, since they’re more than will to talk about Democrats raising energy prices when gas is nearing $4 per gallon.
This is not about a fear of debate; rather, this is about broken Democrat promises and inaction on judicial nominees, though such action at this time has the wonderful added benefit of allowing more time and visibility to expose the detrimental extent and complexity of the Democrats' "climate change" bill.
Nice work, Sen. McConnell.
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Mitch McConnell Shuts Down the Senate 11 Comments (0 topical, 11 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
--Aristotle
The only way to stop the Dems is to stand up to them and call them on their shenanigans!
Good going Senator McConnell, show the Dems they don't have a free pass to do what they want. They've wasted enough of our money with big hearings into how dirt taste and hearings on how Nancy's hair looks.
Added points for making Boxer and the other global warming loons listen to the garbage they can't even stand to listen to.
Good for McConnell!
Maybe we'll get the guts to do things like this regularly, when needed, instead of rolling over to play dead like normal.
and does anybody have a clue how he plans to vote on the bill.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
Heck, shouldn't it take longer to consider this bill than it would whether some perfectly qualified candidate like Keisler deserves a vote?
Will they filibuster it once it's read and debate begins?
I appreciate all that Senator McConnell is trying to do. It's about time the Dems are called to task.
I ask everyone to support Senator McConnell. The Dems have targeted him for defeat in Nov. It would be a great loss to the conservative cause.
for what should have been. If they all showed backbone for all the things that matter to Americans, we would have a filibuster proof majority.
I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100 percent.
Thank you Sen McConnell. We need to keep our spines tough more often like this. It is a shame that we are only fighting over two nominees when it should be many more.
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