April 9, 2021
Senate Democrats continue to chip away at the Senate’s rules in an effort to jam through as much of President Joe Biden’s agenda as possible. In February, Democrats passed a $1.9 trillion spending bill using the process of budget reconciliation a fast track procedure that cannot be filibustered. Now, based on a recent opinion issued by the Senate’s parliamentarian, Senate Democrats may have the opportunity to do it again, and again, and again.
Rather than upending the legislative filibuster, an open-ended, unlimited reconciliation process simply bypasses the filibuster altogether. And, though still subject to strict budget parameters, such a move could still allow Senate Democrats to make dramatic changes to federal law without the input that would normally be required from Senate Republicans.
The Little-Known Senate Rule That Could Change Everything
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks about Senate Democrats legislative accomplishments as he holds a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 25, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
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If the reports hold true and the rug doesnât get jerked out from under us, it appears Chuck Schumer and his slim Senate Democratic majority have located a tool that will pull most of Mitch McConnellâs filibuster fangs right out of his frowny mouth⦠and maybe, just maybe, bring some of the changes we most desperately need.
Manchin Pens Op-Ed Against Filibuster Reform, Using Section 304 to Pass Bills
Sen. Joe Manchin is seen during a Senate vote in the Capitol on March 25, 2021.
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Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia and a key vote in the evenly divided âupper chamberâ of Congress, penned an op-ed this week that reiterated he would not support changes to the filibuster, while also indicating he may stand opposed to other means Democrats could use to avoid GOP obstruction of legislation.
âThere is no circumstance in which I will vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster,â Manchin wrote in his opinion piece for
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) holds a news conference in Washington, D.C., March 25, 2021.
(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Senate Democrats are considering turning reconciliation into something it was never meant to be. Our politics will suffer if they do.
The word “reconciliation” has, until now, had heart-warming connotations. It evokes estranged friends rekindling their association, or warring nations laying down arms in a spirit of forgiveness and fellowship.
If Senate Democrats get their way, however, “reconciliation” may come to mean the opposite: “Republicans can complain all they want, but they better reconcile themselves to getting steamrolled by 51 Democratic votes.” That’s because budget reconciliation is rapidly evolving into the preferred tool for working around the Senate’s much-lamented supermajority requirement and enabling the majority party to have its way.
The Perils of Making Reconciliation a Filibuster Workaround yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.