The Senate parliamentarian has ruled Democrats can use special rules to avoid Republican filibusters to pass two more major pieces of legislation with simple majority votes, Democratic leader Charles Schumer said Monday.
A spokesperson for Schumer told The Hill and Politico that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has agreed with his interpretation of Section 304 of the Budget Act, meaning Democrats could potentially use the “budget reconciliation” process to pass the two pieces of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan without any GOP support.
Related Story: Ruling Means Dems Could Pass Infrastructure Bill Without Even One GOP Vote
The parliamentarian’s ruling “allows Democrats additional tools to improve the lives of Americans if Republican obstruction continues,” the aide said.
“While no decisions have been made on a legislative path forward using Section 304 and some parameters still need to be worked out, the parliamentarian’s opinion is an important step forward that this key pathway is available to Democrats if needed.”
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Senate Democrats used the same budget reconciliation strategy to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package last month, and hoped to expand its use to also get the infrastructure bill past the unanimous opposition of the Senate’s 50 Republican members.
A supermajority of 67 senators is needed to break a filibuster, meaning at least 17 GOP lawmakers must cross party lines to end the debate.
The parliamentarian’s ruling is an unprecedented decision, representing the first time the interpreter of the Senate’s arcane procedural rules has been asked to allow more than one reconciliation move in a single budget year.
The process, however, comes with its own set of requirements, including at least 15 hours of Senate floor debate and a marathon vote in which any member can force a time-consuming roll call on any amendment.
While the ruling is “good news” for Schumer, it is only a first step toward using the reconciliation process to move Biden’s plan forward, a Democratic aide told CNN.
“This was just the opening salvo in what will be a long and complicated process,” the aide said.
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Acting more like the Soviet Duma than the United States Congress,,,,,,Rubber Stamps tend to bounce back in the next following elections. Schumer may shoe in a Soviet style government, but will eventually get the boot later down the line. WE THE PEOPLE are not Soviet Peasants, conditioned by centuries of obedience to Czars.
WHY bother having two parties, when only ONE seems to ever be needed/wanted.
This is NOT how our govt is supposed to work. It all needs to be blown up and start over.
For years, i’ve felt that the TV show, “Designated Survivor” is what was needed to get RID of the filth in the ENTIRETY of congress…
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is a traitor and a communist.
So much for her being supposedly an Indepentent. SHE IS A COMMUCRAT through and through.
It is time to cut wasteful spending. So any amount over a hundred billion will need approval from the people at the poles and has to pass by 70% to be implemented.
We need to make it that all bills have to pass by 70% in both the house and senate. Maybe this will slow the greedy crocks from wasting tax payers money and making stupid laws.
IMO IT should have been 70% from the GET GO.. AND also mandated that ALL BILLS PASSED spending money, NEVER SPENDS MORE than the govt takes in, balancing the budget…
Democrats R Destroying out Country. Spending our Money like Crazy. They want everything on their Wish List done now. No matter how it effects the County & the People in it.
They R completely ignoring the other half of the people in this Country. (Republicans, Independents & some Democrats). They will Filibuster everything for the next 4 yrs. Just think we R only 2 1/2 months into this Circus of Doom.
With as spineless, feckless and USELESS as the gop is, WHY EVEN HAVE them!?
The Fools who voted for the Socialist Democrat Party in this dictatorship rule, are going to suffer and become servants and slaves to this Socialist Democrat Party State along with the rest of us.
The “Socialist Democrat Party State” political officers, Gestapo, Woke and Cancel culture are just getting started.
You will obey, be loyal and support the “Socialist Democrat Party State” or you will be classified as
“Enemies of the State”.
Senate rules require a quorum, 51 senators, for a vote. The Vice-President is not part of the count. I hope if the Democrats try to pull this the Republican refuse to show up. They can’t even vote unless all the Democrats and at least one Republican are present. Unfortunately, what are the chances of all the Republicans sticking to together.
The problem with that is Mitt Romney.
AND all the other damnable RINOS.
Agreed. Now that they don’t have President Trump bash, I’m just hoping the RINOs do the right thing for the country. I know I’m probably living in fantasy land.
Sorry, but RINOS ONLY do what’s best for themselves. NOT THE nation. IF they did otherwise, they wouldn’t be rinos!
Real Simple! When the republicans get in control again, and they will…It’s time to kick a$$!
AND how do you expect republicans to ever get in control again? AND SINCE we’ve seen A # o times they held BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE, but still caved into the dems demands, HOW DO YOU expect them to “kick &@@ this time”?
IMO both are wishful thinking.
Is that the sound of a toilet flushing?
Yea, finishing off the dems utter destruction of the rule of law and our constitution.