According to Bloomberg News reporter Sahil Kapur, the Democrats in the Senate are about to wage what he dubs as the equivalent of ‘trench warfare’ in the Senate in order to slow progress in the chamber down to a crawl.
He explains below:
Senate Ds will begin objecting to all “unanimous consent” reqsts tonight to grind chamber to a crawl over GOP writing health bill in secret.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Democrats will also make UC requests this evening to force the AHCA to committee for Senate hearings, per senior Dem aide.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Dem hardball tactics set up a test of wills on health care. Can't stop anything w/o 51 votes; goal is inflict political pain and flip 3 Rs.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Here are the tactics a senior Senate Democratic aide says they'll use to fight GOP efforts to smash Obamacare, starting tonight. pic.twitter.com/ITQfN21J18
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Background: The Senate requires consent to do basically anything quickly—end debate, authorize minutes, adjourn, expedite proceedings, etc.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Even in most hyperpartisan times, UC is regularly granted for small things. Routinely denying means wasting heaps of time on recorded votes.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
There's an old joke that senators need unanimous consent to go to the bathroom.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
In a way, this wld be just the latest escalation of Senate trench warfare. Rarely/never-used minority powers are used, sometimes normalized.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 19, 2017
Democrats don’t really care about transparency here, they just don’t like that Republicans are trying to ‘repeal’ Obamacare.
Remember the filibuster threat on Gorsuch from Schumer? It’s always his answer to obstruct when he doesn’t like something.
Also, since when have Democrats become the standard when it comes to transparency?
Look, I do believe in transparency and want Republicans to do this out in the open where it can be seen by all. We have a right to see what they’re writing. But unfortunately it seems that no one in DC these days, Republicans or Democrats, care much about transparency when they are the ones wielding the legislative sword.
(h/t: Lawnewz)