Ryan Deal Includes Procedural Gift to Harry Reid, Permitting Him to Raise Taxes on a Simple Majority Vote, Rather than Requiring 60 Votes

What the hell, Paul Ryan.

What the hell.

Senate Republicans scrubbing the Ryan-Murray budget deal have come across a little-noticed provision that will limit the GOP’s ability to block tax increases in future years.

The bill includes language from the Senate Democrats’ budget to void a budget “point of order” against replacing the sequester cuts with tax increases.

The process is quite complicated, but in practice it grants Harry Reid the authority to send tax increases to the House with a bare majority, rather than the 60 vote threshold that would be required under the point of order.

The provision has angered key Republican Senators. Reeling from Harry Reid’s unprecedented use of the “nuclear option” to end the filibuster on presidential nominations, they are incredulous that Paul Ryan would have backed another limit to their power.

“This is an appalling power grab that should never have been allowed to be in a final agreement. It’s essentially the ‘nuclear option’ part two, eroding minority rights in the Senate even further. Harry Reid must be very happy,” a Senate GOP aide says.

A House aide defending this piece of shit says, basically, Eh, it's no big deal, because the House can stop tax increases. Probably.

I don't know what to say.

Thanks to @rdbrewer4.

posted by Ace at 08:45 PM

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