Terrible News: Senate Republicans Plan To Block Virtually All Democratic-Backed Bills

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans intend to block action on virtually all Democratic-backed legislation unrelated to tax cuts and government spending in the current postelection session of Congress, officials said Tuesday, adding that the leadership has quietly collected signatures on a letter pledging to carry out the strategy.

If carried out, it would doom Democratic-backed attempts to end the Pentagon's practice of discharging openly gay members of the military service and give legal status to young illegal immigrants who join the military or attend college.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made both measures a priority as Democrats attempt to enact legislation long sought by groups that supported them in the recent midterm elections.

A nuclear arms treaty with Russia that President Barack Obama wants ratified would not be affected, since any debate would take place under different rules than those that apply to legislation. Even so, its passage is not assured as Republicans are seeking concessions from the White House.

Officials who disclosed the new Republican maneuver did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss it.

It was not known how many of the Senate's 42 Republicans had signed the draft letter, which the leadership intends to make public quickly.

Senate Democrats need 60 votes to overcome any delaying tactics, meaning they could be thwarted if 41 Republicans join in the commitment.

Democrats' chances of passing politically charged legislation will dim when the new Congress convenes in January, since Republicans will take control of the House and gain more Senate seats.

The letter comes after comments by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and others in his party that the voters made it clear in the elections they want lawmakers to focus on economic issues.

"Despite what some Democrats in Congress have suggested, voters did not signal they wanted more cooperation on the Democrats' big-government policies that most Americans oppose," McConnell and incoming House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote in an op-ed article published in the Washington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/1..._n_790208.html

It's official. death on the dream act..... Let's just forget it we would never get it passed.

it's reported that ALL 42 Republican Senators singed that letter.
http://twitter.com/jbendery

Dude just stop posting with the negativity, plus we have known that Republicans plan to filibuster any democratic lead bill since the longest, this is not news. I thought since we already have some Republicans on board the D.A. this would not be the case for the D.A. I read this article and i think they are planning to start doing this once the new senate members are sworn in.

Hey, I just call Sen. Robert Bennett from Utha -R and their staff told me he doesn't know about the letter but he says he continue to support the Dream Act......if it comes as a stand alone

Um republicans will try to filibuster. Wow news! Really? And also the sky is blue, and the grass green and when it rains water comes down from the clouds. It's always been that way my friends!

Exactly, this is just a political tactic that is basically trying to block any bill that is produced in the still controlled democratic senate. Republicans want to retake it back in 2012 so they have to block anything that will "strengthen" the country, they want to keep it on its knees until they can take over and say "we did it". Plus you forget that Democrats still have an Ace, the Tax cuts, Republicans will do almost anything for them.

yeah i know it's no news that they would try to block it... My concern is that ALL 42 REPUBLICAN Senators are reported to send the letter....
THAT'S A PROBLEM...
I really hope that's they are just playing politics .. because if they are this is just fucking stupid

isn't this the compromise meeting they dems, gop, nd obama had tues.
that dems help extend bush era tax cuts and gop do the same for dems

We Cant Give Up Evertime We Ear Bad News . You Think Everthing Will Go As We Want People Are Going To Try And Brake Us Down Thats When We Need To Be The Strongest

Mitch McConnell just said on Senate floor, Republicans will block everything he has agreement of all 42 he said..Unless funding and tax cuts are passed first..