Senate Democrats succeed in blocking dozens of Trump executive nominees

[gratuitous]

When you're in the minority like the Democrats are, and the majority is an unprincipled bunch of assholes, victories are few and far between. Let's celebrate a small victory:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/22/1726911/-Senate-Democrats-succeed-in-blocking-dozens-of-Trump-executive-nominees#view-story

It's been clear all year that Mitch McConnell's and the Senate Republicans' top priority is stacking the federal judiciary with wing-nuts, because they've directed all of their efforts at shutting down Democratic opposition to Trump judicial nominees. Democrats have only been able to turn back a few of those nominees. On the executive branch side, however, Democrats have been busy protecting the government from more kleptocrats.

Lovely photo of my Senator and Senator Professor Warren.

[ProudLib72]

1. Warren is practicing her "War Face"

I have a feeling she will be using it a lot in the coming year.

[spanone]

2. K&R...

[Wellstone ruled]

3. So we are at 52-48 until Jan 2 2018.

51-49 after Jan 2,2018. Thad Cochren is out with major health problems. John McCain's Cancer is in total news blackout. Personally,do not ever expect him back. So we are lookiing at a 49-48 Senate after New Years. Did McConnell F us over big time,answer is yes. Take his bi-partisan stuff and stuff it. Schumer better get his ass together.

[Fred Sanders]

4. With McCain and Cochren out and Jones in it would be 49-49.

[SergeStorms]

5. And then have Trump's.....

personal remora, Pence, casting the deciding vote. I'm not really ready to party about that!

[Fred Sanders]

7. True, but they have to get to 50. No chance for a while. And not lose a single vote even then.

[onenote]

15. If its 49-49, Pence will give them 50.

[Fred Sanders]

16. Do not think so. VP can only break a 50-50 tie, creating a majority. 50 is not a majority.

[tritsofme]

18. An absolute majority is not always required, based on the number of senators present and voting

The threshold for passage can change. Cloture for instance, has a hard requirement of 60 votes, I don’t recall the exact details, but I do believe in most circumstances a 49-48 vote would lead to passage.

As for the VP, the Constitution says he only has a vote when senators are “equally divided” so I don’t think there would be an issue with him breaking the tie in a 49-49 vote.

[onenote]

19. Correct. All it takes to pass most legislation is a majority of a quorum.

In theory, a bill could pass (assuming cloture) by a vote of 26-25 (51 Senators constitute a quorum). If there were 51 Senators present and one abstained and the vote was 25-25, the VP could break the tie.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Sorry hit the wrong key.

Watch McConnell slow walk everything. Will be interesting how the CR is handled,my guess is watch Sherod Brown and Dick Durbin.

Another key,Will Tina Smith get the Judiciary seat of Al Franken,if so,Grassley will crap green ones.

[Moral Compass]

8. Youre correct

McCain won’t be back. Glioblastoma is extraordinarily aggressive and can’t be stopped.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Sister in law had the same

on top of Lung Cancer and that was after Breast Cancer and going into remission for 14 months. Understand McCain's Tumor was located as to be able to operate,SIL was not.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Packing the judiciary is very telling. They KNOW they do not have much time. . . . nt

[The Mouth]

11. Part of it is the fact it's WAY more boring than a tweet

I think it's a sinister, but effective strategy. Everybody is outraged about twitler's latest tweet, Jerusalem, national monuments. And all of these are important, but stacking the judiciary with young, lifetime appointed far right fanatics is going to have a far dirtier and more drastic effect for many decades. I'm not minimizing the things on the Latest or Greatest pates, but this stuff, while boring, is going to affect every day of every one of our lives in a way that a national monument or where we put our embassy never will.

[Fred Sanders]

17. Well said. I have been saying the same about the judiciary for years. A third and equal branch

as a check and balance on the other two.
The problem is how hyperpartison the appointment process has become, which leads directly to loss of public confidence in the judiciary. This is a grave danger to a democracy.
A judge has neither sword or shield, only the confidence of the public as its guard.

[mcar]

12. Our Dems are standing strong!

Too bad some call them spineless.

[Chasstev365]

13. Oh wow: Mitch McConnell is going to call them "Obstructionist."

[JohnnyRingo]

14. McConnell blocked Obama's judicial nominees for years.

That's why there are so many vacancies now for Trump to fill.

I guess Mitch thought there was only one ace in the deck and he held it, because the Democrats just pulled another one out of seemingly thin air. Trump deserves this for his partisan arrogance alone.