Sen. Schumer ready to proceed to reconciliation "We are not going to dilute, to dither, to delay,"

[bigtree]

Geoff Bennett @GeoffRBennett 11m
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote today on a motion to proceed to the budget reconciliation resolution for Biden’s COVID relief package. “We are not going to dilute, to dither, to delay,” he says.

Link to tweet

Manu Raju @mkraju 46m
Schumer says the Senate will vote today on a procedural motion to move ahead on the budget resolution. That means budget resolution will be on the floor this week, setting the stage for reconciliation legislation (with covid relief) later this month or early March

Link to tweet

[maxsolomon]

1. Do they have control of the committees yet?

Last thing I knew they hadn't organized it.

[bigtree]

16. nope.

...that's a big headache getting nominees and legislation to the floor.

Not impossible, just a headache.

[Walleye]

2. Why does it take so long?

[maxsolomon]

3. Why does what take so long?

Legislating?

Jan 20th was a fortnight ago!

[getagrip_already]

4. 2 rumors I heard on kagro this am.....

1 is that they were hampered by covid quarantine/isolation and not all members were available. That appears to not be a factor today.

The other is that there was still wrangling going on over committee assignments. They all know their votes are needed and are pushing every advantage no doubt.

[Walleye]

6. Well they got a quit fucking around and pull together for once dammit

[Irish_Dem]

5. There should be a fast track for emergency legislation.

People need financial help now, and we need vaccines now.
Kids need to get back to school.

[Walleye]

7. I remember the FEMA response to the Katrina hurricane.

The churches came and helped far ahead of the government, the bureaucrats couldn’t quite figure out that babies need their food now, and they need their diapers, and most people walked out of there with just the shirts on their back. We are now in a worse emergency and in the entire country.Don’t know why it’s so hard for the people who make the laws to understand the people who have to live by them.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Exactly. Why is it so hard for them to realize March is an absurd timeline?

I don't get it.

If it were McConnell trying to get judges or tax cuts, it would be done yesterday.

[Walleye]

9. Yes! Do they have amnesia or do they think we're afflicted with it

[bigtree]

17. .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(United_States_Congress)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/budget-reconciliation-rules-democrats-biden_n_5ff9d3e6c5b66f3f795e554d

https://www.ncsl.org/blog/2017/01/13/how-the-congressional-reconciliation-process-works.aspx

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122816822

[Irish_Dem]

22. Good.

[bigtree]

25. they got sworn in 12 days ago

...they've been working on budget reconciliation for a week.

Neither has expressed 'concern' over the process initiated today by the Senate Majority Leader.

Both houses of Congress were preparing to take the first steps forward on U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, with initial votes on Tuesday
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa-congress-idUSL1N2K81MU

[bigtree]

30. you got those wrong

...might help to provide the substance and timing of those 'reports' here.

They expressed their desire in the caucus meeting to pass direct aid as quickly as possible. No report they consider the reconciliation process an unnecessary delay by the Democratic leadership.

Their concerns are moot, really. Budget reconciliation is proceeding, and it's the fastest vehicle available to the leadership to advance Covid relief.

[W_HAMILTON]

38. Democratic*

[BComplex]

10. Because there are no right wing extremist judges to confirm. Everything else is delayed.

Surely people can go without food for a month, while living in their cars with no gas, so that the very well paid politicians can get their act together.

[Irish_Dem]

11. They act like there is no emergency, business as usual.

Right they have their vaccines, food, shelter, paycheck.

[Walleye]

13. Very well said.

The GOP senate is not used to actually legislating

[bigtree]

12. the bill will still be subject to amendment by the opposition

...I think that'll cause most of the delay. Budget Reconciliation has a long series of votes to get it to final passage.

There's the scoring of the bill, the accounting to keep it within the Byrd Rule. For instance, there will need to be offsets for budget shortfalls which can trigger automatic cuts to programs like Medicare (will most likely need republican votes to protect it), and we still have republicans chairing committees in the Senate.

[Walleye]

14. That explains it, but geez

Can we change the Byrd rule?

[bigtree]

15. this was always considered the long option

...I do understand that most folks aren't aware there would/will be a delay of Covid relief if there's no agreement with the republican minority, operating under the current filibuster rules where they can require 60 votes to proceed to the bill on the floor.

And remember, we still need a solid majority of Democrats to make this work, zero defections in the Senate.

Sounds ominous, but it's just the delay- hard to bear I know, but it's going to work in the end.

(if you mean change the terms of reconciliation, I think there's been some talk of that, but I'd bet this effort would need to run aground before they went that route.)

[Walleye]

18. I do have faith. Patience sometimes runs out

Like everyone else, I’ve just been spending too much time by myself

[bigtree]

19. yes, patience has run out

...and the incessant dangling of this pittance of aid is infuriating.

I think we'll find, though, that our Democratic majority leadership in both houses is hitting the ground running. None of this process involved them waiting for republicans to move forward, and I believe the framework for proceeding has already been established by the party in advance of assuming the leadership.

Link to tweet

[Irish_Dem]

23. People are getting angry. I don't blame them.

[bigtree]

28. blaming them for 'delay' is misplaced anger

...as both houses are proceeding without republican support to advance Covid relief through the budget reconciliation process without any hesitancy.

The 'delays' are part of the democratic process where the opposition will have several opportunities to amend the bill, or require votes on automatic cuts to programs like Medicare.

Democrats will likely finish the budget reconciliation process of votes in record time, with unanimity from the Democratic caucus.

The only alternative was the ending of the filibuster which isn't something the Democratic leaders, Schumer and Pelosi, can do by fiat. Ending the filibuster requires every Democrat's vote, plus the VP's. You should know well there's not a majority in the Senate for that vote, with a determinate few objecting.

Reconciliation represents a sense of urgency by the Democratic leaders to forgo waiting for republicans and pass the relief on their own. It's a bold choice, and one that allows Democrats to advance Covid relief on their own initiative and intent.

[Irish_Dem]

29. Current rules prevent adequate response to an emergency.

What if a nuclear bomb was dropped on the USA?
Would take months to get help to the American people because of parliamentary rules.
Crazy.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Rules need to be changed so emergency action can be taken.

[bigtree]

32. you're being disingenuous here

...and a bit baity about the former Democratic Majority Leader.


...get a clue:

SUMMARY OF THE BYRD RULE

Under the Byrd rule, the Senate is prohibited from considering extraneous matter as part of a reconciliation bill or resolution or conference report thereon. The definition of what constitutes "extraneous matter" is set forth in the Budget Act; however, the term remains subject to considerable interpretation by the presiding officer (who relies on the Senate Parliamentarian). The Byrd rule is enforced when a Senator raises a point of order during consideration of a reconciliation bill or conference report. If the point of order is sustained, the offending title, provision or amendment is deemed stricken unless its proponent can muster a 3/5 (60) Senate majority vote to waive the rule.

Subject matter - The Byrd rule may be invoked only against reconciliation bills, amendments thereto, and reconciliation conference reports.

Byrd rule tests - Section 313(b)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act sets forth six tests for matters to be considered extraneous under the Byrd rule. The criteria apply to provisions that:

do not produce a change in outlays or revenues;

produce changes in outlays or revenue which are merely incidental to the non-budgetary components of the provision;

are outside the jurisdiction of the committee that submitted the title or provision for inclusion in the reconciliation measure;

increase outlays or decrease revenue if the provision's title, as a whole, fails to achieve the Senate reporting committee's reconciliation instructions;

increase net outlays or decrease revenue during a fiscal year after the years covered by the reconciliation bill unless the provision's title, as a whole, remains budget neutral;

contain recommendations regarding the OASDI (social security) trust funds.

Exceptions to the Byrd Rule - Section 313(b)(2) allows certain otherwise covered Senate-originated provisions to be excepted from the Byrd rule if the provisions are certified for exemption by the Senate Budget Committee chairman and ranking minority member, as well as the chairman and ranking minority member of the committee of jurisdiction. The permitted exceptions are:

a provision that mitigates direct effects attributable to a second provision which changes outlays or revenue when the provisions together produce a net reduction in outlays;

the provision will result in a substantial reduction in outlays or a substantial increase in revenues during fiscal years after the fiscal years covered by the reconciliation bill;

the provision will likely reduce outlays or increase revenues based on actions that are not currently projected by CBO for scorekeeping purposes; or

such provision will likely produce significant reduction in outlays or increase in revenues, but due to insufficient data such reduction or increase cannot be reliably estimated.

Effect of points of order - The effect of raising a point of order under the Byrd rule is to strike the offending extraneous provision. If a point of order against a conference report is sustained, the Senate may consider subsequent motions to dispose of that portion of the conference report not subject to the point of order.

Waivers - The Byrd rule is not self-enforcing. A point of order must be raised at the appropriate time to enforce it. The Byrd rule can only be waived by a 3/5 (60) majority vote of the Senate.

[bigtree]

34. what you're doing is perpetuating an ignorance

...and ignoring the substance of the Senate rule.

I fixed that, though, for anyone looking onto your inflammatory remarks.

[bigtree]

41. wow

...projection, as well.

I'd be forgiven if I concluded you aren't actually interested in the facts and realities of budget reconciliation.

[W_HAMILTON]

40. Calling them "Democrat" Senators from GA, bringing up Byrd's disavowed KKK past...

Uh, welcome to DU, or something like that.

[Wounded Bear]

26. Go big or go home...

[Calista241]

35. They can only use reconciliation once per term, so this had better be what they want to use it for.

[bigtree]

36. actually two shots this year

...because republicans failed to pass a budget last year.

[bdamomma]

39. Just

forget the repigs, and move on. Unity between the American people and Democrats. Just move on. Steam roll them.

[bigtree]

42. that's it

...that's the plan.