Harry Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate filibusters on nominees...Reid in 05: “The filibuster is not a scheme and it certainly isnt new. The filibuster is far from a procedural gimmick, its part of the fabric of this institution we call the Senate. It was well-known in colonial legislatures before we became a country, and its an integral part of our countrys 214-year history. The first filibuster in the United States Congress happened in 1790. It was used by lawmakers from Virginia and South Carolina who were trying to prevent Philadelphia from hosting the first Congress. Since then, the filibuster has been employed hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. Its been employed on legislative matters, its been employed on procedural matters relating to the presidents nominations for Cabinet and sub-Cabinet posts, and its been used on judges for all those years. One scholar estimates that 20 percent of the judges nominated by presidents have fallen by the wayside, most of them as a result of filibusters. Senators have used the filibuster to stand up to popular presidents, to block legislation, and, yes, even, as Ive stated, to stall executive nominees. The roots of the filibuster are found in the Constitution and in our own rules. -Harry Reid Oh well, guess he knows which way the wind blows... youtube/watch?v=0yq-Fw7C26Y
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 12:34:14 +0000
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