BREAKING: Reid Using "Nuclear Option" To Do Away With The Filibuster? UPDATE: Not The Filibuster Update 2: Reid Changes Senate Rules By Majority Vote

Above the post update:

Basically it seems the Democrats have stripped the GOP of the chance to offer amendments. This is going to bite the Democrats in the ass hard several ways once they find themselves in the minority.

Just got an email from someone in the Senate. It's not the filibuster but the ability to change the Senate rules by simple majority vote (instead of 2/3s vote). The rule they are trying to change has to do with the ability to close off the option of offering amendments.

Reid's maneuver works. The precedent has been set that Senate rules can be changed by majority vote.

This means the Senate rules can be changed by majority vote and the minority can't offer amendments without majority approval.

What this is about: Reid didn't want to let McConnell bring up Obama's job plan and force Democrats to vote against it. Pass This Bill Now (unless it would be an embarrassing to Democrats).

So, the GOP wins the Senate in '12, nukes the filibuster and then repeals ObamaCare?

Wow.

This is pretty crazy and it's going to take some time to sort out.

Original Post:
It's a little arcane and a lot inside baseball but something is going down in the Senate right now.

In a shock development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely-used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules.

...

Reid appealed a ruling from the chair that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not need consent to force a vote on a motion to suspend the rules to consider an amendment after cloture has already been approved.

The maneuver is highly arcane but momentous. If a simple majority of the Senate votes to uphold Reid’s appeal, the Senate’s rules will have been changed by the unilateral action of one party.

From the Senate GOP communications shop (email, no link)

Sen. Reid just moved to change the rules of the Senate. By raising an unprecedented point of order against offering motions to suspend (a motion that both Democrats and Republicans have used in the Senate), he’s asking the Senate, with a simple majority vote, to end the practice altogether. After “filling the tree” and blocking all Republican amendments, Sen. Reid is now moving to be able to prevent any options available to the minority to have votes—even on jobs amendments.

Despite AGREEING to have seven motions a few minutes ago, he’s now saying seven motions are too many and the practice must end.

Republicans are voting to appeal the ruling and to maintain a long-standing Senate rule that has been used by both parties.

Not sure what triggered this. Updates as it becomes clear.

Vote is going on right now but even Senators are confused which way to vote on the party line.

This escalated quickly.

posted by DrewM. at 07:11 PM

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