Senate question here

[bluestarone]

Lets say the senate is 50 Democrats and 50 RETHUGLICONS, and Joe and Kamala are in the Whitehouse. Ok who controls the Senate day to day? Does McTURTLE lose his leadership?

[dchill]

1. Oh. Good one. I don't know.

[soothsayer]

2. Ooh I'd like to know too

[woodsprite]

3. I thought since the VP is essentially part of the Senate as a tie-breaker, that

it would give us the majority.

[bluestarone]

5. I was hoping this answer!!

[pandr32]

11. Agreed 100%

[catbyte]

4. Doesn't look like it. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution:

Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution specifies that The Vice President is the President of the Senate. The Vice President has no vote unless to break a tie in some matter before the Senate. Therefore, if the election leads to a 50-50 party split in the Senate, the Vice-President's vote will give the majority to his or her party.

Edited to add this article from Politico:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/17/50-50-senate-control-416424

‘Everyone’s got leverage’: Dreading a 50-50 Senate split

An evenly divided Senate looks increasingly likely after November.

[OAITW r.2.0]

10. Is there a Senate Majority Leader then?

[sir pball]

21. Yes. The Senate is *technically* 101 members

The VP is President of the Senate - they can't vote, or really do much of anything besides sit around and Preside over the daily business, but AFAIK they are counted as a member for maj/min purposes.

[OAITW r.2.0]

23. So, who gets to call the voting agenda in the Senate.....Harris?

Or would Schmur be the new SML?

[sir pball]

24. Whoever the Dems select as floor leader

Both parties vote on their floor leaders the same way at the start of each session; the leader of the majority party is Majority Leader. Harris only factors in to determine the majority party, 51 D/50 R - essentially a tiebreaking vote in different clothes. Again, while this is what I've understood for a while I could be completely wrong, the minutiae of Senate procedures is not something I'm super familiar with...

[sweetloukillbot]

6. I'd think that McTurtle does until Jan 20

With Pence as the tiebreaker until then.

[tetedur]

7. There are two independents

Angus King and Bernie Sanders.

What if they vote with the Democrats and then there's two runoffs in Georgia.

[randr]

8. Kamala is President of Senate

She gets to vote when there is a tie

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. It's 48/48 now....

I wonder is the other 2 seats the Independents? If so, now would be a great time for King and Sanders to change to Democrats.....

[bluestarone]

12. Forgot about the independents.

So that confuses things a little i guess.

[OAITW r.2.0]

17. Actually, they are already caucusing with the Democrats....

there are 2 other seats in play, NC and AK. So the best we can hope is to take the Georgia seats during the run-off.

[bluestarone]

18. Possible though!!!

Let's hope so!

[SPDem]

20. Is there any hope in Alaska?

It sounds like they've only counted in person votes and will do absentee next week. It has to be a longshot but is there any hope?

[OAITW r.2.0]

22. That would make things really interesting.

When the Senate is tied - 49/49, who controls the agenda? Is there are Senate Majority leader? Co-Leaders? How does that work?

Pisses me off that my state (Me), didn't send Collins packing. 50,000 votes could have made a real difference in the Senate...

[Cartaphelius]

13. As Vice President Kamala Harris

is the tie breaking vote in the Senate, I am envisioning
a black lady f*ucking McTurtle in da ass on the Senate Floor....

[Baked Potato]

14. I believe Democrats would, with control of the Presidency.

And the VP, of course would break ties.

[Roland99]

15. As far as who is Majority Leader....

The last time Republicans and Democrats struck this type of compromise was in 2000, only the third such time in Senate history, reports CBS News.

Former Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., became majority leader with the backing of then-Vice President Dick Cheney. Lott retained some advantages of majority status, like the ability to advance legislation that stalled in committee, but agreed to share some authority with Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

[bluestarone]

16. Good THEN does Kamala get to choose the leader?

Hope so!

[Roland99]

19. would seem like it!