McConnell caves on filibuster after holding Senate hostage for a week

[turbinetree]

By Emily Singer -January 26, 2021 9:21 AM

McConnell refused to allow the transfer of power over a demand that Democrats let him block every bill.

Mitch McConnell lost his first battle as Senate minority leader on Monday, caving on his demand that Democrats agree to keep the filibuster — a procedure that would allow Senate Republicans to block every single piece of legislation Democrats put on the floor.

McConnell had been holding up the transfer of power to Democrats for nearly a week, saying he would not agree to sharing power with Democrats unless they agreed to preserve the filibuster.

A power-sharing agreement is necessary, as both parties each have 50 seats, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote that gives Democrats control of the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had been seeking a vote on the same power-sharing agreement the Senate used in 2001, the last time the chamber was split 50-50.

https://americanindependent.com/mitch-mcconnell-caves-filibuster-holding-senate-hostage/

[Fullduplexxx]

1. Didnt the dems agree to keep the filibuster?

[beastie boy]

2. Nope. Only two dems did. And it is not written in stone.

And those two dems don't control what happens to the fillibuster rules.

[Fullduplexxx]

3. Thanks that brightens my day a tad !

[sweetloukillbot]

5. I don't think either has been the deciding vote against the Dems either

I'm curious what their play will be, but I'm not convinced they will join McConnell on votes where they will actually make a difference.

[Demsrule86]

7. I don't think they will. Like Manchin, they will be able to vote With GOP if their vote is not

needed.

[gab13by13]

6. Why don't they?

[beastie boy]

8. Why don't they control what happens to the rules?

Because they don't control when and under what circumstances the vote on fillibuster will take place. Schumer does.

They will certainly not be voting on the rules when it suits McConnell best. They will be doing so when it suits Schumer best. There are many circumstances under which they may wish to change their minds, or they will be compelled to change their minds, or their vote may become irrelevant, and most of those circumstances are outside of their control.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. This is shallow but in addition to being so ugly on the inside that is the goddamn ugliest SOB

Those nasty yellow rat teeth.