Jack, the Republican Party lost the Senate on Jan. 5, but Mitch McConnell is acting like he's still in charge.
At the start of every new session, the Senate adopts what's known as an "organizing resolution" that lays out the rules governing how the chamber will conduct its business day-to-day. In 2001, when the Senate was also divided 50-50 (with the vice president breaking ties), party leaders hammered out a fair framework that Democrats want to re-use today.
But McConnell—who supported that deal 20 years ago—has had the chutzpah to throw in a totally extraneous demand that Democrats also pledge to keep the filibuster intact so that he can block all of their legislation in the future. In fact, he’s threatening to use the filibuster right now to prevent a new organizing resolution from passing.
Mitch McConnell will use any opportunity he has to screw Democrats and the American people. Every day McConnell drags out the fight over Senate rules is one more day without COVID relief for families and states, immigration reform, new voting rights legislation, and more. McConnell just won another term in office, but we hold those who are supporting him accountable. Chip in $1 to each of the Senate Democratic nominee funds in states with vulnerable Republican senators up in 2022.
Needless to say, Democrats have told McConnell to get lost—he's in the minority now, and he doesn't get to decide how the Senate should be run. Everyone from Elizabeth Warren to Joe Manchin is backing new Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is standing firm against McConnell's absurd effort to tie Democrats' hands.
But even if McConnell eventually gives in, there's a real cost to his obstruction right now. With the country in crisis, Democrats are raring to address our litany of grave problems, but McConnell's refusal to let Democrats actually run the Senate is gumming up efforts to address:
- Desperately needed COVID relief
- Immigration reform
- Voting rights
- Paid sick leave
- The climate crisis
- And so, so, so much more
It's total garbage, and it's all because McConnell—who never expected to lose the Georgia runoffs—can't face up to the fact that his reign of terror is over.
We can make McConnell's job much harder with an even bigger Democratic majority. Chip in $1 to each of these Senate Democratic nominee funds right now and let's go blue in '22!
Thank you,
David Nir, Political Director
Daily Kos
Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612.
|
|
|
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please click here.
|
|
|
|