What is more important, Senate majority or Sen. Warren and Sanders in Cabinet?

[KitSileya]

From what I see, certain groups (and Senator Sanders himself) are really eager to get Senator Warren as Secretary of the Treasury and Senator Sanders as Secretary of Labor. However, their home states have Republican Governors, and they would be replaced with Republicans. That would mean losing the majority.

Even if we do not get majority in the Senate at the first go, by only getting one of the two Senators of Georgia, we still have a good shot at 50-50 because McConnell is having visible health problems beyond the bruises he had in October. He is limping, and breathing heavily, according to the latest press reports. He had a triple bypass in 2003, he's 78 years old, and the signs are there. Kentucky has a Democratic Governor, which could then get us to 50-50 if McConnell retires :coughdiescough: before 2022.

On the other hand, Senator Sanders has expressed his wish to be Labor Secretary, and many want Senator Warren to deal with finance after her good job on the consumer protections bureau. Many would be incredibly angered if Senator Sanders doesn't get his wish - Justice Democrats, The Young Turks, Jacobin are all already sounding the alarm if they do not get their way,

So, what do you guys think?

[we can do it]

1. Senate majority hands down.

[BlueInPhilly]

2. Majority

No doubt about it

[handmade34]

3. ...

Senate majority. Hands down!!!!!

[redstatebluegirl]

4. Senate Majority not even close!

[relayerbob]

5. Senate majority. Period.

In addition, anyone publicly joining for a position, in an attempt to bring pressure, would be instantly disqualified from any further consideration, if I was the one making the calls.

[House of Roberts]

6. If we get both Georgia Senate seats, then the majority is more important.

If we don't then what?

[DFW]

14. Then the majority remains just as important, and a goal we have two years to shoot for

And without needing to reserve financial resources for the presidential race.

[MuseRider]

7. Majority

They both still have a lot of influence wherever they are so we need them to stay in the Senate. Why? Is there some kind of fight going on about this? LOL, of course there is.

[LizBeth]

8. Sanders is an Independent and can be his independent self in the senate. I would love Warren in

the treasury and Mass has something where the majority vote in the senator not the Gov. Surely Warren and Biden will know the rules and process and if they think they will lose the senate, then she will not be moved. If they think she will be replaced by a democrat then I really want her to be moved.

[Green Line]

20. Republican Governor Baker gets to appoint her replacement.

[LizBeth]

29. I trust Biden to know more than you. If it can't be done it won't. It is suggested that

there is a way for this to be done.

[Dream Girl]

9. Senate Majority - no question!

[jimfields33]

10. Senate majority for sure

But if Biden picks Warren, the republican Governor said he’d pick a Democratic Senator replacement because that’s what the voters voted for. Now typically no way to trust a republican but the Governor of Massachusetts is extremely popular even among Democratic residents of the state. Vermont? Not sure about that Governor at all.

[Salviati]

11. The senate majority, obviously.

Now is the time to go for actual victories, not symbolic victories.

[DFW]

12. Senate majority, no need to even ponder that one

If the Republicans block every initiative, the cabinet secretaries will be operating with at least one hand tied behind their backs as it is. There's nothing Warren and Sanders can do that can't be done by someone else. On the other hand, if we have a chance at a majority in the Senate, whether it's now or in 2022, that is by far the bigger prize. I am quite confident that both Sanders or Warren have figured that out on their own.

[Jeebo]

15. An easy call. OF COURSE the Senate majority is more important.

It's critical. Mitch McTurtle will stop EVERYTHING the Democrats try to do, including Senate confirmations. Even with the bare Senate majority of 50-50 plus Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote, McTurtle will just relentlessly filibuster EVERYTHING. So even if the Democrats win those two Georgia seats, they'll still HAVE to blow up the filibuster. This is why I hope all of the sitting Democratic Senators will stay right where they are. There is NO margin for error in the Senate. We can't and shouldn't count on any Republican Senator dying in office or being forced to retire for health reasons. Anybody who wants Warren or Sanders in a cabinet post should understand this.

-- Ron

[Bettie]

16. I would prefer Senator Warren stay in the senate

While I think she could do a great job at Treasury, she's a voice in the Senate that we can't lose.

Even if we had the majority without her, I'd say she should stay in the Senate.

Sanders should stay in the senate as well.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. Gosh. Remember how back in 2016 people here

were saying Warren absolutely should not run for President because we need her in the Senate? Has that changed somehow?

But yeah, if they would not be replaced by Dems, then they need to stay in the Senate.

[Budi]

18. Biden's got his list for Labor Sec & Sanders isn't on it.

Anything else he's requesting?

[mtnsnake]

19. I don't think Vermont has elected a Democratic senator in 199 yrs or more, so the answer is majority

[Budi]

21. Biden's List

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214555199

Post #2

Biden adds 27 union leaders to transition team



You'll need some long solid years in the Union trenches to be included on this fine list:

Show your creds!

Department of Labor

For union members the Labor Department is probably the most important agency within the federal government.

The team at the Department of Labor will be responsible for reviewing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the National Mediation Board, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, the Railroad Retirement Board, and the National Labor Relations Board. Signifying the Department’s importance Biden appointed the most union officials in this Department including:

*Jennifer Abruzzo, former general counsel to the NLRB and currently the special counsel for strategic initiatives with the Communications Workers of America (CWA)

*Jessica Chu, Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)

*Micheal Hazard, United Association’s (UA) Veterans in Piping Program Administrator

*Nadia Marin-Molina, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), a group that organizes and helps day laborers, migrant and low wage workers.

*Shaun O’Brien, Assistant Director of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)’s Research of Collective Bargaining Services division.

*Patricia Smith, senior counsel for the union affiliated National Employment Law Project (NELP). Before that Smith worked for President Obama as a solicitor of labor.

*Lynn Rhineheart, senior fellow at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the former general counsel for the AFL-CIO

*Other people added to the committee include former Labor Department and OSHA officials as well as state labor department officials.
The Department of Labor team is being run by Chris Lu, who was the former Deputy Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama.

Union officials were also appointed to 14 other review teams, showing the expanse reach of unions and the immense knowledge that union leaders and staffers bring. Below are the labor appointments.
MORE...

BRAVO! President Joe Biden...
******

[KitSileya]

24. Thank you for posting this.

It does seem like all of DU want Senate majority, but it's good info if those who've been advocating for their favorite as leader of the Labor department protest Biden's appointments.

[Budi]

32. Looking at this list is a BIG signal to the direction Biden's Cabinet wiil go.

President Biden knows how to build American labor & he couldn't have chosen a stronger group of allies to get us there.

It is damned impressive!

[Statistical]

22. Control of the Senate it isn't even a contest. The Senate is EVERYTHING.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

23. Majority.

[gademocrat7]

25. Senate majority

[sheshe2]

26. Senate majority!

[Lucinda]

27. Majority.

[meadowlander]

28. Senate majority. Next.

[Fiendish Thingy]

30. Majority Leader Warren. Nt

[dsc]

31. If we are 50/50 after GA then the majority is the first, last, and only thing to think of here

and no Sanders, no Warren in the cabinet. It would be nothing short of insane for us to give any GOP official the ability to scuttle the majority. Now if we aren't then it gets down to how long an appointee would serve since I think we would win either race.

[MoonRiver]

33. Senate majority!

[Doremus]

34. .

Edited because I shouldn't try to work and reply at the same time.

[Rice4VP]

35. Majority...

[peggysue2]

36. Senate majority

Not even a close call.

[lark]

37. Easy, Senate majority is way way more important, not even close at all IMO.

We can do so much more with a Senate majority, like restaff the judiciary, bring SCOTUS in line with todays USA, ACA, union support, fiscal aid to families and states.

[Sogo]

38. Senate majority. Not even a question....

[Leith]

39. Keep them in the Senate

They are there right now. Nobody with a lick of sense needs or wants rethugs to clamor for their seats.

Both Sanders and Warren understand the consequences if they leave the Senate. They have seniority and experience that nobody else can replace.

Quite frankly, there are dozens of good people not currently in the Senate who can fill the cabinet seats just as well.

[GeorgeGist]

40. Senate majority.

[Wounded Bear]

41. Senate Majority, all day every day...nt