“The first filibuster of the year, and may be the last.” —Harry Mason Reid
The “Nuclear Option. One year ago this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed through his “nuclear option”…Reid changed a Senate rule that would make Obama nominees easier for a Democratically-controlled Senate to approve. Republicans ability to filibuster would be sharply curtailed under the new rule. The rule change reduced the current threshold of 60 votes to 51 votes for the Senate to approve executive and judicial nominees of the Obama Administration.
Republican opposition was unanimous and three Democrats joined the GOP to oppose the rule change.Senators Pryor of Arkansas, Manchin of West Virginia Levin of Michigan opposed the nuclear option. Reid, however staunchly defended the change asserting it does not apply to Supreme Court nominees or to legislation. Harry Reid on the Senate floor asserted:
“The American people believe Congress is broken. The American people believe the Senate is broken. And I believe they are right…The need for change is so very, very obvious.”
New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall said this in his advocacy for the rule change:
“Americans sent us here to get things done, but in recent years, the minority has filibustered again and again — not to slow action out of substantive concerns, but for political gain. Any president — Democrat or Republican — should be able to make their necessary appointments.”
Tuesday night the mid-term elections yielded a Republican Majority in the Senate. The “Nuclear Option,” is still in place…Remember how Tom Udall lamented, “The minority has filibustered again and again and again?”
So the $64,000 question is….Will the Senate democrats…now in the minority seek to have the rule changed back to its original state?The $64,001 question is…Will Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell capitulate and change the rule back? Will the Democrats vilify the Republicans as abusive, partisan and out of control if the rule is kept?
This is a great rule for the Democrats while Obama is in the white house and there exists a Democrat controlled Senate. This is a bad rule, however, for Democrats with a Republican President and Republican-dominated Senate. So what will happen?
