The Washington Post writes it off as a minor "tweak," but Senate Republicans today charged that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is mounting an unprecedented "power grab" that will essentially eliminate use of the filibuster in many cases like fighting liberal Supreme Court nominations.
"It would forever change the nature of the Senate and constitute a naked partisan power grab. Such a move would disrespect our bipartisan system and the will of the American people," says a memo from the Senate Republican Policy Committee, headed by potential presidential candidate Sen. John Thune.
At issue is a bid by Reid to change the filibuster rules this week by a simple majority, 51, instead of the traditional two thirds. Since Reid's party controls 53 seats (51 Democrats and independents Joe Lieberman of Connectictut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont), they could institute the change over GOP opposition.
In the memo, provided to Whispers, the GOP also unleashed a broad assault on Reid's handling of the Senate in the past two years, accusing him of cutting Republicans out of debates and blocking GOP legislation. It claims that when the rules are applied, more bipartisan legislation is produced.
Read the memo from the Senate Republican Policy Committee..
(Source)
"It would forever change the nature of the Senate and constitute a naked partisan power grab. Such a move would disrespect our bipartisan system and the will of the American people," says a memo from the Senate Republican Policy Committee, headed by potential presidential candidate Sen. John Thune.
At issue is a bid by Reid to change the filibuster rules this week by a simple majority, 51, instead of the traditional two thirds. Since Reid's party controls 53 seats (51 Democrats and independents Joe Lieberman of Connectictut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont), they could institute the change over GOP opposition.
In the memo, provided to Whispers, the GOP also unleashed a broad assault on Reid's handling of the Senate in the past two years, accusing him of cutting Republicans out of debates and blocking GOP legislation. It claims that when the rules are applied, more bipartisan legislation is produced.
Read the memo from the Senate Republican Policy Committee..
(Source)
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