lilbawler2001
01-21-2009, 08:35 AM
Senate Democrats Threaten To Shut Republicans Out (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/senate-democrats-threaten_n_159532.html)
Senate Democrats are willing to use their expanded majority to shut Republicans out of the amendment process if the GOP uses it to score political points by introducing unrelated amendments, a top Senate Democratic leadership aide told the Huffington Post.
"We can do this the responsible way and get some things done -- or we can do it the hard way," he said.
Democratic leadership views the debate over the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as a "threshold moment." So far, Senate Republicans have introduced two amendments to it, both of them related to the bill.
"If [the Ledbetter debate] goes well, we'll have an open amendment process, but only if Republicans want to legislate," said the aide, emphasizing, "Once again, we've got 59 votes."
Story continues below http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/v/darr.gif
Sixty votes are needed to cut off debate and move to final passage of a bill.
House Democrats have already gone that direction. Last session, House Republicans made devastating use of the legislative maneuver known as a motion to recommit, using it to bring up offshore drilling and other issues Democrats didn't want to vote on. This session, Democrats changed the rule so that a motion to recommit must be related to the bill it's amending.
The move by Senate Democrats has been a long time coming. A year ago, Senate Republicans earned the ire of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for proposing to amend a bill aimed at the foreclosure crisis with something having to do with tort reform and another amendment cutting taxes.
"The Republican 'housing plan' consists of tired programs form a dusty Bush-Cheney playbook. Tort reform and Bush tax policy - neither have anything to do with housing," said Reid on the Senate floor.
With only 51 senators in his caucus, there was little Reid could do. But he added a warning.
"Our razor-thin majority has allowed Republicans to block legislation with little effort. They should enjoy it while they can. The American people see what's going on, and our majority will soon grow," Reid said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/senate-democrats-threaten_n_159532.html
They better use that majority well when it comes to bringing the dream act for a vote.
Senate Democrats are willing to use their expanded majority to shut Republicans out of the amendment process if the GOP uses it to score political points by introducing unrelated amendments, a top Senate Democratic leadership aide told the Huffington Post.
"We can do this the responsible way and get some things done -- or we can do it the hard way," he said.
Democratic leadership views the debate over the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as a "threshold moment." So far, Senate Republicans have introduced two amendments to it, both of them related to the bill.
"If [the Ledbetter debate] goes well, we'll have an open amendment process, but only if Republicans want to legislate," said the aide, emphasizing, "Once again, we've got 59 votes."
Story continues below http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/v/darr.gif
Sixty votes are needed to cut off debate and move to final passage of a bill.
House Democrats have already gone that direction. Last session, House Republicans made devastating use of the legislative maneuver known as a motion to recommit, using it to bring up offshore drilling and other issues Democrats didn't want to vote on. This session, Democrats changed the rule so that a motion to recommit must be related to the bill it's amending.
The move by Senate Democrats has been a long time coming. A year ago, Senate Republicans earned the ire of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for proposing to amend a bill aimed at the foreclosure crisis with something having to do with tort reform and another amendment cutting taxes.
"The Republican 'housing plan' consists of tired programs form a dusty Bush-Cheney playbook. Tort reform and Bush tax policy - neither have anything to do with housing," said Reid on the Senate floor.
With only 51 senators in his caucus, there was little Reid could do. But he added a warning.
"Our razor-thin majority has allowed Republicans to block legislation with little effort. They should enjoy it while they can. The American people see what's going on, and our majority will soon grow," Reid said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/senate-democrats-threaten_n_159532.html
They better use that majority well when it comes to bringing the dream act for a vote.