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10 things you need to know today: March 27, 2015
Tag: Senate Democrats
Obama: Eliminate The Senate Filibuster
TPM LiveWire
He said the “routine” use of the 60-vote requirement by Senate minorities makes it arcane in an era of partisan polarization, and that it “almost ensures greater gridlock and less clarity in terms of the positions of the parties.”
Obama, whose presidency has coincided with the dramatic escalation of filibusters, noted that there’s “nothing in the Constitution that” protects the blocking tactic.
Though he has typically been mum about Senate rules, Obama benefited greatly from Senate Democrats’ move in 2013 to eliminate the filibuster for most executive branch and judicial nominations. It remains in place for Supreme Court nominations and legislation.
Here’s the relevant quote by Obama, via Vox, in response to a question about how to govern amidst polarization.
Probably the one thing that we could change without a constitutional amendment that would make a difference here would be the elimination of the routine use of the filibuster in the Senate. Because I think that does, in an era in which the parties are more polarized, it almost ensures greater gridlock and less clarity in terms of the positions of the parties. There’s nothing in the Constitution that requires it. The framers were pretty good about designing a House, a Senate, two years versus six-year terms, every state getting two senators. There were a whole bunch of things in there to assure that a majority didn’t just run rampant. The filibuster in this modern age probably just torques it too far in the direction of a majority party not being able to govern effectively and move forward its platform. And I think that’s an area where we can make some improvement.
Paycheck Fairness Act Blocked Again By Senate GOP
The Huffington Post
Senate Republicans on Monday blocked for the fourth time a bill that would strengthen federal equal pay laws for women.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would ban employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with each other, impose harsher penalties for pay discrimination and require employers to be able to show that wage gaps between men and women are based on factors other than gender.
The bill needed 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster and advance to a final vote on passage, but it fell short Monday by a vote of 52 to 40. Senate Democrats have brought the bill to the floor four times since 2011, and each time Republicans have rejected it.
“The wage gap not only hurts our families, it hurts the economy,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said before the vote. “If it were reversed, I’d be standing here fighting for the men. It’s not right.”
Republicans say they oppose the bill because they believe it would discourage employers from hiring women, out of a fear of lawsuits. The GOP has accused Democrats of staging a “show vote” on the bill in an election year, knowing it won’t pass.
“At a time when the Obama economy is already hurting women so much, this legislation would double down on job loss, all while lining the pockets of trial lawyers,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said before the last vote on the bill in April. “In other words, it’s just another Democratic idea that threatens to hurt the very people that it claims to help.”
Women working full-time in the U.S. earn an average of 77 cents for every dollar men earn, according to the Census Bureau. A small portion of that gap, economists say, is due to employers paying women less than men for the same work.
Republicans are trying to engage women voters ahead of the November midterm elections, but their opposition to the Paycheck Fairness Act and other equal pay measures has repeatedly been used against them in campaigns.
Democrats Have Their Best August In History and Strengthen Their Position To Keep The Senate
This is relatively good news…
PoliticusUSA
Senate Democrats set another fundraising record in August. They are crushing their Republican opponents in fundraising, and find themselves in a much stronger position to keep control of the Senate than the experts predicted.
The Democratic Senate Congressional Committee (DSCC) had their best fundraising month in history in August. Democrats outraised Republicans $7.7 million to $1.6 million. Overall, Democrats have outraised Republicans by $29 million. The DSCC has $25.3 million in cash on hand and no debt.
In a statement, DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said, “With less than 50 days until Election Day, Democrats are in strong position to hold the majority. While the Koch brothers are spending millions on misleading attack ads to prop up candidates like Joni Ernst, Tom Cotton, Thom Tillis, and others, Democrats are running stronger, smarter campaigns with better candidates. Thanks to our energized grassroots supporters, the DSCC will continue to highlight on the airwaves how Republicans want to privatize Social Security, gut Medicare, and limit access to common forms of birth control as well as heavily invest in the Bannock Street Project, which at its peak will be the largest, most data-driven field operation ever in a midterm election.”
As The New York Times recently reported, a path to Democrats keeping the Senate majority is becoming visible. Democrats have a base of 45 seats. If the Democratic candidates win in Colorado and Michigan, where they currently lead, the party would only need to win three more states to keep their majority. Sen. Kay Hagan leads in North Carolina. A Hagan win would bring the Democratic total to 48. Democrats could keep the by winning in Iowa and Alaska. Wins in those two states, would give Democrats the majority with Vice President Joe Biden serving as the tie breaking vote.
If Democrats win a Republican held seat in Kentucky or Georgia, they could afford to lose a vulnerable seat like Alaska and still keep the majority.
Republicans are putting all of their resources into capturing the Senate, which is why the Democratic fundraising has been so impressive. Having money is the first step towards keeping the majority. The next step is for Democrats to mobilize and get their voters out to vote in November.
There is no doubt about it. Democrats are doing much better than the pundits and “experts” predicted. Republicans were hoping for an early wave that would point to them locking up control of the Senate by now. Instead of a national election, the 2014 contest for the Senate has turned into a state by state battle with no national themes. This is not the kind of election that Republicans wanted to contest.
It is not an easy path, but Democrats have a much better chance of keeping the majority than the political chattering class ever expected.
On Budget Deal, House Republicans Once Again Prepare To Break Their Own 72-Hour Rule
I’m wondering why the GOP in the House and Senate keep breaking their promises to “The American People”. That phrase, “The American People” is tossed around by each and every one of them when discussing legislation or Obama’s policies.
The problem is, the GOP (and a lot of Blue Dog Dems) in congress care nothing about ALL of “The American People”. Their main concern is about corporate interest and military spending.
Think Progress
When Republicans took over the House in January, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) promised the public, “I will not bring a bill to the floor that hasn’t been posted online for at least 72 hours.”
House Republicans are set to break that promise tomorrow afternoon when they push through a vote on the budget deal reached last Friday with Senate Democrats and President Obama. The agreement, which has been criticized by both progressive and Tea Party members of Congress, was posted online last night at 2 am, and is set to be voted on tomorrow at 2 pm — leaving less than 36 hours for public review.
It’s not the first time Republicans have waived the transparency rules they passed in January to move contentious legislation through the House. Last month, House Republicans debated and voted on a bill defunding NPR more than twenty hours before the review period had even ended.
The violation prompted an outcry from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), forcing then-presiding speaker Ted Poe (R-TX) to insist the GOP’s 72-hour rule actually meant only three calendar days:
Two weeks later, Republicans again waived the rule while considering another piece of radical right-wing legislation, the Government Shutdown Prevention Act, which would have implemented HR 1 without the Senate’s assent.
As Minority Leader, Boehner repeatedly said that a 72-hour review period was necessary to allow lawmakers to read the bills they were voting on and keep the public informed about pending legislation:
As Paul Blumenthal notes, the GOP House majority is evading their pledge — and their commitment to public involvement in the legislative process — “for nothing other than the pursuit of quick political wins and message control. This is very disturbing.”
Related Articles
- Analysis: Budget deal only reduces real discretionary spending by around $15 billion (hotair.com)
- Leading House conservative opposes Obama/Boehner budget deal (americablog.com)
- Budget deal details: Cuts that aren’t quite cuts (cbsnews.com)
- House Majority Leader predicts budget deal will pass with ‘strong Republican support’ (via CNN Political Ticker) (reclaimamericafromthelunaticfringe.wordpress.com)
- Party Leaders Look to Center for Budget Support (foxnews.com)
- GOP aides say policy riders need 60 Senate votes (thehill.com)
- The Budget Deal May Collapse (lonerangersilver.wordpress.com)
- Top conservative says no to budget deal (via CNN Political Ticker) (reclaimamericafromthelunaticfringe.wordpress.com)
- The Budget Train Wreck (thestrangedeathofliberalamerica.com)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Rejects Dems’ Meeting Proposal
The Daily Beast
Wisconsin’s Senate Democrats won’t be making peace with Governor Scott Walker just yet. Walker rejected the Democrats’ proposal to meet with GOP leaders on the Wisconsin-Illinois border to discuss the governor’s contentious anti-union bill, calling it “ridiculous.” In a letter Walker received early Monday, Democratic leader Senator Mark Miller wrote, “The people of Wisconsin are overwhelmingly supportive of us reaching a bipartisan, negotiated compromise. Senate Democrats stand ready to do just that. We ask that you do the same.” Walker, in turn, blasted Miller for standing in the way of compromise.
Related Articles
- Wisconsin: Senate Dem Leader Seeks Meeting with Walker (news.firedoglake.com)
- Top Wis. Dem wants Walker sitdown (politico.com)
- Runaway Dems to return to WI? (hotair.com)
- Wisconsin Democrats seek meeting with Walker (dailykos.com)
- Scott Walker press conference: It’s not my fault (dailykos.com)
- Are Wisconsin’s Fled Democrats Poised to Return? (themoderatevoice.com)
Governor gives Wisconsin Democrats an ultimatum
TPM News
Wisconsin Voters Already Have Buyers Remorse About Electing Gov. Scott Walker … 52% Would Vote For Dem Tom Barrett If Election Were Today
Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Monday gave absent Democratic lawmakers an ultimatum to return to Wisconsin within 24 hours and vote on a proposal to reduce the power of public sector unions or the state would miss out on a debt restructuring.
Walker stepped up the pressure on 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state to avoid a vote on the bill as he prepared to unveil on Tuesday a two-year state budget that he said cuts $1 billion from funding to local governments and schools.
What began as one small state trying to rewrite the rules of labor relations has blown up into what could be the biggest confrontation with American labor unions since then President Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers in 1981.
For the second time since the controversy erupted, President Barack Obama weighed into the debate on Monday criticizing the Wisconsin plan without mentioning it by name.
“I don’t think it does anybody any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon,” Obama told the nation’s governors gathered in Washington.
Wisconsin’s Walker immediately issued a response, saying: “I’m sure that President Obama simply misunderstands the issues in Wisconsin.”
Pro-union demonstrators continued to occupy the State Capitol building on Monday after some of them refused to leave on Sunday night. Capitol police, who had allowed the protesters to stay in the building for more than a week, on Monday prevented more from entering even though it was a week day. Continue reading here…
Related Articles
- Governor gives Wisconsin Democrats an ultimatum (reuters.com)
- Gov. Walker Issues Ultimatum (online.wsj.com)
- Governor’s ultimatum to Wisconsin unions tests Republican power (independent.co.uk)
- Wisconsin protesters win another battle against oppression (redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com)
- Wis. governor to outline intentions in budget (msnbc.msn.com)
- Wisconsin protesters stay put; defiant governor holds ground (cnn.com)
- Dueling Ultimatums in Wisconsin (politicalwire.com)
Senate votes to overturn military gay ban
This is long over due!
In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Obama was expected to sign it next week, although the change wouldn’t take immediate effect. The legislation says the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won’t hurt troops’ fighting ability. After that, there’s a 60-day waiting period for the military.
“It is time to close this chapter in our history,” Obama said in a statement after a test vote cleared the way for final action. “It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.”
The Senate vote was 65-31. The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-175, on Wednesday.
Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.
More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.
Rounding up a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was a historic victory for Obama, who made repeal a campaign promise in 2008. It also was a political triumph for congressional Democrats who struggled in the final hours of the postelection session to overcome GOP objections on several legislative priorities before Republicans regain control of the House in January. More…
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Online:
Pentagon study: http://tinyurl.com/23lxc49
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network: http://www.sldn.org/
Information on the bill, H.R. 2965, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov
The Fifth Column 