Harry Reid Focuses On July For The 'Nuclear Option'

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has told top advisers that he is prepared to take action if Senate Republicans block three upcoming nominations, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

Reid is reportedly focusing on the month of July to approach filibuster reform and possibly execute the "nuclear option," which would change the Senate rules and no longer require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

“This would take away the right to filibuster on nominations,” a senior Senate Democratic aide told the Washington Post. “All executive branch and judicial nominations would be subject to majority votes. He would not do it on legislative items.”

A Senate Democratic aide confirmed the Post report to HuffPost and said that Reid met recently with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), a leader of the push to reform the filibuster, to lay out his thinking going forward.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/harry-reid-nuclear-option_n_3293865.html

[BootinUp]

1. Stop teasing us and just get it done. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Just for nominations

And it won't happen, anyway.

[Ash_F]

21. I like that sig. /nt

[Stuart G]

26. Manny is correct..Harry Reid has lied to us about this before

Even about nominations...I don't think he will tell the truth..very very sad statement about Harry..

[brooklynite]

34. No he hasn't

I've met with him personally about this. He knows he got burned in the 2010 agreement; the problem this year was he couldn't round up the votes.

[groundloop]

3. WOW - AGAIN ?

For starters I'll believe it when I see it.

Beyond that I guess I don't understand Senate rules, I thought the only time this could be changed was at the start of the session (now long gone of course).

[Trajan]

4. I think it goes like this ..

(correct me if I am wrong ...)

The Senate rules on filibusters can be changed at the start of the session, and apply to when Senate members conduct filibusters ...

The Nuclear Option quits filibusters all together, and forces each question to a full Senate vote, with the filibuster off the table ...

and yeah .. I'll believe it when I see it too ... For decades; the Democrats have been way too accommodating ...

[ffr]

9. Write to him. I did.

http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/

[Left Coast2020]

7. That was my thought too.

Harry doesn't have a good track record with me. He's got a lot of catching up to do.

[ChazInAz]

5. Sure, Harry.

Yup. Uh-huh.
Stop talking about doing it somewhere down the line and just do it!

[ffr]

10. Agree. It's time already.

[cascadiance]

15. If he doesn't do it this time, it's time to replace him as Sen Maj. Leader with Senator Merkley...

... who DOES know what should be done about the filibuster, and who he should have listened to at least two times before on this subject when it was time to do something about it!

[tblue]

38. Patrick Leahy

is my first choice. Or Al Franken. Heck, it would be hard to be a worse maj leader than Harry Reid.

[The Wizard]

6. To be or not to be? (NT)

[rhett o rick]

8. Why wait? nm

[BlueCaliDem]

11. I thought they couldn't change the filibuster rules with a simple majority until the new

Senate convenes in January after every election?

Now I read that they can change the rules at any time with a simple majority?? I thought they needed 67 votes for that outside those few weeks in January when a new Congress convenes.

Confusing.

[Cha]

12. It is confusing, BlueCaliDem..

but, I'm going to keep rooting for them to do it and hoping we keep the Senate in 2014!

[BlueCaliDem]

14. So am I, Cha. Unless the turnout is low allowing election fraud to successfully take hold,

I don't believe we'll lose the Senate. I don't know if we can win back the House in 2014, but I'm certain we'll retain the WH in 2016.

Let's not forget that 50,000 Latino-Americans turn 18 every month in the United States. Now, if the Republicans continue to block any immigration bill, this will incite their passion to register and vote. Then again, there are enough Latino groups, Like Voto Latino, working hard at registering as many new voters as possible in 11 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada and Texas, but I don't know if that will be enough to take back the House, with voter suppression tactics and as gerrymandered as it is.

[Cha]

16. Gracias for reminding me of

Latino Voto, BlueCaliDem!

http://www.votolatino.org/

[Third Doctor]

13. Yeah right.

I'll believe it when I see it. Especially coming from Reid.

[Sherman A1]

20. Agreed

Just don't believe it.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Reid will reach another "agreement" with the GOP where they will promise not to filibuster

Then an hour later they will filibuster every one of Obama's nominations and Harry Reid will again promise to take action.

Rinse repeat.

[OnionPatch]

37. Yep. Exactly.

It would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

[Liberal Veteran]

18. Cakes yesterday, cakes tomorrow, but never cakes today.

[NCcoast]

19. No no, seriously, he means it this time. He's really really..

going to do it. No kidding. You thought he was mad before, this time he's mad. He means business. Don't push him. It's on this time. It's on. There will be blood. No kidding. He's going to take it to these guy. Mess'um up. He was a fighter, a prize fighter. Hear that? A prize fighter. Poppa don't take no mess... seriously, he's steamin' this time... don't mess around... it's go time...

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

22. sure, Harry

We totally believe you mean it this time.

[YeahSureRight]

23. The odds are better of hitting the Powerball tonight then Harry changing the filibuster rules

[newfie11]

24. Yeah yeah yeah

I have heard that before. I'll believe it when I see it.

[another_liberal]

25. Do it already.

The Republicans did not win a majority of the Senate, and they should not be able to act as if they did. Either that or just shut the Senate down when neither Party has sixty seats.

[chuckstevens]

27. YAWN YAWN

I heard that it also include a strongly worded letter to the Republicans about playing fair! Harry "Ball-less" Reid had his chance at the beginning of the new Congress in Jan 2013, but he wimped out for the millionth time. Why should I believe him now?

[Flashmann]

28. he is prepared to take action if Senate Republicans block three upcoming nominations

Yeah...Like roll over again.

[SwankyXomb]

29. Merkley's after his job.

Harry's just doing this to try and placate him for a little while longer.

[filmconsultant]

30. I'm Gonna Hold My Breath!

Harry reminds me of the kid who kept threatening to faint but never delivered. Everyone over the age of 5 realizes the current state of American governance is untenable. But Harry's stopper is what will happen to Democrats when Republicans again grab control of the Senate; taking action against the filibuster now leads to a future of Democrats shut out in the cold.

[dballance]

41. While You Are Right, What Makes You Think the GOP Won't Change the Filibuster?

What makes you, or anyone, believe that if the GOP gets control of the Senate that they won't change the filibuster rules to their liking to shut out the Democrats anyway? So we may as well do it now and see if we can get, at least, some of Obama's appointments into office. It's extremely important that we get some of his judges to the bench. Those appointments have decades of influence.

[hrmjustin]

42. Welcome to DU my friend!

[broadcaster75201]

31. PLEASE tell me no one here believes it.

He'll do nothing. He never does anything and he never will. He is a feckless, blithering old fool. So am I, but I don't run the Senate.

[mountain grammy]

32. You damn well better, Harry, you damn well better!!

[madville]

33. Harry was dead set against it in 2005

I remember Harry going on and on about how many rules would have to be broken to exercise the "nuclear option", ruining a sacred Senate tradition, etc, etc.

Just think, if Bill Frist and crew hadn't chickened out we wouldn't even be having this debate today, the rules could have been changed 8 years ago but Harry wouldn't let it happen then and they took control in 2006 anyway.

What happens if the Republicans get the Senate back with a Republican President? They'll use this to ram all their appointees through and the Democrats will have endorsed the practice.

[hughee99]

35. They won't have to endorse the practice.

All they will need to do is find some minor difference between the two and claim that it's not the same. The "fig leaf" to cover the hypocrisy.

I recall "nuclear option" discussions on the DU from the years the repukes controlled the senate when the filibuster was an important tool to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Then the party in control changed and the filibuster became a weapon used to thwart the will of the people. I have no doubt people that made the jump from one to the other will be able to make the leap back.

[Android3.14]

39. Golly

And then elections might have consequences.
Who'd a thunk it?

[mpcamb]

40. "nuclear option"

I still feel pissy when this gets labeled this way.
It's a minor political step to rectify an long-standing abuse.

Maybe they could add 'gate' to the end of yet another phrase and diddle language a bit further.

[IrishAyes]

43. (cue music) "I'm Just Wild About Harry..."

After reading all your other replies, I need to say I don't mean that facetiously.

And yes, I've got my armor on so all you Harry haters, go ahead and do your worst. I don't give a damn.