McConnell moves to delay Senate return after 3 lawmakers test positive for COVID-19

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will move to delay the Senate’s return for two weeks after three lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19.

McConnell said the Senate will not return until Oct. 19 and will only meet in pro forma sessions for the next two weeks, allowing a smaller number of lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill. Previously-scheduled floor activity will take place after Oct. 19. The Senate was in session last week and had been scheduled to return this coming Monday.

McConnell said in a statement he “[intends] to obtain a consent agreement” to have the chamber go on hiatus until Oct. 19, meaning Democrats can object to the move.

The announcement comes after Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) all announced they have tested positive for the coronavirus. Lee and Tillis are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and were at the White House last Saturday for President Trump’s announcement that he was picking Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/519479-mcconnell-delays-senate-return-after-3-lawmakers-test-positive-for-covid-19

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Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), another member of the Judiciary Committee, was also at the White House last week. Though he tested negative, he still plans to work remotely from Nebraska until Oct. 12 as he receives further testing.

The absence of the four Republican lawmakers cuts down McConnell’s normal 53-47 majority to just 49 senators.

[Thekaspervote]

1. Hopefully this delays the stolen SCOTUS nomination

[DENVERPOPS]

2. More than likely

the only thing this will delay is financial help for the masses who are truly suffering from the antics of the RepubliCONs......

[BlueMTexpat]

7. This ...

[Crash2Parties]

6. He'll delay it til the opportune moment

Suddenly, with GOP Senators calling in sick he wants to delay the process.

Rest assured the moment he once again calculates he has the votes, he will push it through ahead of everything and anything else.

[onetexan]

9. Per this CNN article i posted on another thread, Dems may boycott proceedings so no quorum

"On October 15, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham needs to have nine total members of the committee present, including two Democratic members, to officially consider the nomination. At that meeting, Democrats would use their power under the rules to delay the vote on the nomination to the following week, setting up a committee vote by October 22. A floor vote would happen later that week.

But Democrats may choose to boycott the October 15 proceeding. If they do, the GOP won't have a quorum and won't be able to begin the process. Graham can get around the boycott if Tillis or Lee are back -- and they move forward with a committee vote to approve the nomination. To approve the nomination, the committee rules require a majority of members to be present. The committee is split between 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, so if the two GOP senators are both out and Democrats boycott, they will not have a majority to vote on the nomination."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/politics/ron-johnson-coronavirus/index.html

Dems may just be able to delay till after election, which by then may convince some GOP senators to "break rank":
Republicans are worried about getting enough votes to confirm a nominee in a lame-duck session after Election Day if they lose their majority -- and the White House -- and Democrats prepare to take power in January. The fear is that one or two GOP senators may break ranks after seeing the election results and citing the will of the voters.
Already, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have indicated they are "no" votes if the confirmation vote happens before the election, and could vote against a nominee in a lame-duck session as well.
With a 53-47 Senate majority, Republicans can not afford to lose more than three senators in order to get the nomination confirmed.

[Eyeball_Kid]

12. If Schumer says no; if he objects to the suspension,

and his Dems vote to stay in town, they can then vote down the nomination in committee by majority vote, but McConnell will likely circumvent that effort by not allowing the nomination to be discussed in committee at all (he can temporarily withdraw the nomination conference), thus bringing it all back to square one. Schumer might be thinking that the best time to muddy the process would be after the Senate is called back into session.

[BamaRefugee]

3. DENY McConnell ANYTHING he asks for. It's time for them to get a taste of their own medicine. He's

not asking for this FOR THE GOOD OF US ALL, trust me.

[ffr]

4. +1

[calclar]

5. RESIST! RESIST!

LOUDLY BE OUR BATTLE CRY!

[bucolic_frolic]

8. A few more of these and this Senate is done like a Thanksgiving turkey

[BigmanPigman]

10. Good...call their offices and flood their staff with calls.

[phone]. Encourage the Dems to be tough as nails with the GOP and tell the GOP up for reelection that they can kiss that idea good-bye if they vote for a new SCOTUS.

[Schmice3]

11. More vacation?

Moscow Mitch needs to act on all the legislation the House passed instead of running away to campaign for his re-election. ...and yet, if the Republican Senate is not in session, it interrupts their attempts to make matters worse.

[EndlessWire]

13. I read that

if a SC Justice was seated while the Senate was in recess (a term for that which I have forgotten,) then that Justice's term would expire when the current session expired. In other words, a Temp!

Interesting how McConnell has to thread the needle around the falling bodies to take the seat.