No doubt there has been too many shows of the Senate functioning properly lately since the GOP Compromise Caucus (CC) came to an agreement to avert the nuclear option on filibuster reform.
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/07/in-vote-for-atf-head-tonight-we-may.html
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/07/with-nlrb-confirmations-its-clear.html
Of course, Senate Minority Leader has to do something-the system is breaking down! Since 2009 he has managed to be the master of misrule by enforcing iron party discipline getting all his minority members to use the filibuster on all matters great and small so that even the most routine Senate business has been slowed down to a crawl.
However, he was written out of the filibuster deal, opposed it, then tried to take credit for it. Now the Senate actually got the ATF an actual head for the first time since 2006. Even the biggest gun trade group in the country supported the pick and the NRA didn't oppose him. It was a tough one but it looks like the Dems got him through-as Alaska GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski changed her vote at the last minute to yes-thanks to a nice discussion with Susan Colllins. They're now waiting for Heidi Heitkamp to get to the Senate where she will presumably by the 60th vote.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/filibuster-deal-nearly-falls-apart-atf-director.php
So now McConnell needs to reassert control. He is going to try to do this by opposing the Senate transportation bill. It's already something of a defeat for him when Republicans on committee allowed it to come to the floor.
"Tomorrow the Senate is set to vote on whether to end debate on the big transportation and housing bill that has been working its way through the Senate. The vote is a key test as to whether Mitch McConnell is truly losing control of his caucus as a bloc of Republican Senators indicates a willingness to break with the GOP leadership and join with Democrats in governing."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/thud-bill-pulled-from-house-floor-94992.html#ixzz2afVc4l5k
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/07/in-vote-for-atf-head-tonight-we-may.html
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/07/with-nlrb-confirmations-its-clear.html
Of course, Senate Minority Leader has to do something-the system is breaking down! Since 2009 he has managed to be the master of misrule by enforcing iron party discipline getting all his minority members to use the filibuster on all matters great and small so that even the most routine Senate business has been slowed down to a crawl.
However, he was written out of the filibuster deal, opposed it, then tried to take credit for it. Now the Senate actually got the ATF an actual head for the first time since 2006. Even the biggest gun trade group in the country supported the pick and the NRA didn't oppose him. It was a tough one but it looks like the Dems got him through-as Alaska GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski changed her vote at the last minute to yes-thanks to a nice discussion with Susan Colllins. They're now waiting for Heidi Heitkamp to get to the Senate where she will presumably by the 60th vote.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/filibuster-deal-nearly-falls-apart-atf-director.php
So now McConnell needs to reassert control. He is going to try to do this by opposing the Senate transportation bill. It's already something of a defeat for him when Republicans on committee allowed it to come to the floor.
"Tomorrow the Senate is set to vote on whether to end debate on the big transportation and housing bill that has been working its way through the Senate. The vote is a key test as to whether Mitch McConnell is truly losing control of his caucus as a bloc of Republican Senators indicates a willingness to break with the GOP leadership and join with Democrats in governing."
"Democratic aides say that they’ve received reports from GOP Senators that McConnell’s operation is whipping for No votes today, and Roll Call notes that McConnell announced on the Senate floor this morning that he was “encouraging opposition to the bill.” This is key, since Dems are viewing this bill as an important test of whether their efforts to drive a schism into the GOP caucus by wooing compromise-minded Republicans is working. The question is whether enough Republicans can be induced to support the bill, given that infrastructure spending has historically gotten bipartisan support."
"Six Republican Senators voted for the bill in committee, but conservatives — and McConnell — continue to oppose the bill because its spending levels are higher than those on the House version of the bill. Susan Collins continues to advocate strenuously on its behalf, challenging Tea Party claims about its spending levels, and insisting that Republicans should pass the bill to allow the two chambers to proceed into conference negotiations over the bill."
“I think it’s unfortunate that he’s not allowing regular order to take place to finish the THUD bill and going to conference with the House,” Collins said. Republicans have increasingly been unwilling to proceed to conference on the budget, too — after all, that would require them to enter into negotiations designed to bring about a compromise."
Meanwhile. Boehner has another embarrassment as the new transportation bill he put up-with draconian cuts to please the Tea Party has been pulled. Some moderate House GOP members were not happy with the level of cuts."
"With support collapsing, a $44.1 billion transportation and housing bill was pulled abruptly from the House floor Wednesday, and top Republicans conceded it was a further sign that the party’s budget strategy is unraveling."
"Putting the best face on the situation, Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office said that the House will return to the bill after the August recess. But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers bluntly said the chances of resurrecting the measure are “bleak at best.”
"With this action, the House has declined to proceed on the implementation of the very budget it adopted three months ago,” said the Kentucky Republican. “Thus I believe that the House has made its choice: sequestration — and its unrealistic and ill-conceived discretionary cuts — must be brought to an end.”
So-called ‘Tuesday Group” Republican moderates were among those most upset with the level of cuts debated. And while $350 million had been restored Tuesday night to soften the reductions from popular community development block grants, the combination of these defections plus a predictable bloc of conservatives who oppose most appropriations bills was fatal."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/thud-bill-pulled-from-house-floor-94992.html#ixzz2afVc4l5k
Ah, yes: bleak at best. That's a fitting description of Speaker Boehner's entire tenure.
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