House Republicans Changed The Rules So A Majority Vote Couldn't Stop The Government Shutdown

[UCmeNdc]

In its effort to extract concessions from Democrats in exchange for opening the government, the GOP has faced a fundamental strategic obstacle: They don't have the votes. A majority of the members of the House have gone on record saying that if they were given the opportunity to vote, they would support what's known as a "clean" continuing resolution to fund the government.

So House Republican leaders made sure no such vote could happen.

In the hours working up to the government shutdown on Sept. 30, Republican members of the House Rules Committee were developing a strategy to keep a clean CR off the floor, guaranteeing the government would remain shut down.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/house-republicans-rules-change_n_4095129.html

[northoftheborder]

1. This needs to be discussed on the media. Now. Maybe it has, but I haven't heard it.

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Media has yet to report on this September 30th last-minute rule by the Republicans.

I first read about it on the same site the OP has linked to.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. K&R. Why are there so few kicks and rec'ds under this all-important piece?? eom

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Why do Republicans hate democracy?

Oh yeah, that's right. We're not a "democracy", we're a "constitutional republic", whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.


This should put the BIG lie to the assertion that Democrats wanted the shutdown- though how they could sit there and serious make such a bald-faced assertion in the first place remains a mystery.

[SharkLasers]

5. 7 democrats also voted for it

and 9 republicans against it.

Also, if the votes are there for the CR why not just vote to re-amend the rules?

[UCmeNdc]

8. Boehner controls the agenda.

He will never let the house agenda revisit changing the rules back. If he will not let the subject come up on the floor then no one can challenge or change the rule.

[BlueStreak]

6. And perhaps the biggest part of that story is that Cantor

ended up as the top dog -- over Boehner. How can that happen and not attract even a little notice from the media?

[avebury]

7. The Republicans haven't let majority

rule in the Senate ever since Obama was elected to his first term. They are just moving the same practice to the house. Since they can't have things their way they are determined to that no one else can either.