Majority leaders in Congres have too much power

[Takket]

The "release the report" resolution passed the house UNANIMOUSLY.

That the Senate Majority leader, the head of a body with 100 members, can kill that with ONE VOTE is ABSURD.

They should be allowed to schedule the agenda, assign committee heads, etc, but not be a one person "super vote" to kill legislation.

[manor321]

1. I believe it would take a simple majority to get to a vote on anything

But that vote, of course, would first need 67 votes to get past a filibuster.

There is no rule saying McConnell gets to decide. It's just a matter of party discipline.

You can't make it too easy to get votes to the floor. Otherwise they'd be voting on putting bibles in science classes every day. And there'd be no time for real votes.

The filibuster needs to be ended in 2020, once we take the Senate.

[handmade34]

3. rule is.... McConnell does decide

...the majority leader decides whether or not a vote actually happens. The majority leader can decide to take no action on a bill at all, which will prevent it from ever coming up for a vote...

The Senate majority leader sets the agenda of the Senate. This means he decides what comes to the floor for consideration and what votes are held. He cannot prevent a bill from being introduced — any Senator can introduce whatever he or she wants — but he CAN ensure that a bill, once introduced, will go nowhere and never receive a vote.

[FBaggins]

2. Perhaps... but not in this case

The rule that allowed a single senator to bring the resolution forward also permitted a single senator to block it.

A week or two ago it was Lindsey Graham... today it’s him.

Keep in mind that the unanimous consent rules in the Senate are also the reason Trump’s nominees are stalled to the extent they are.

[handmade34]

4. that is why...

people need to understand... even a very conservative Democrat is better than a Republican... the numbers are what determines who calls the shots!!!!