Senate power-sharing agreement reached, Schumer announces, allowing Democrats to take control of com

[groundloop]

Source: CNN

A deal has been reached in the Senate in principle on a power-sharing agreement that had precluded Democrats from taking control of the committees, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday morning.

"I am happy to report this morning that the leadership of both parties have finalized the organizing resolution for the Senate," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "We will pass the resolution through the Senate today, which means that committees can promptly set up and get to work with Democrats holding the gavels."

Democrats took control of the Senate in January after winning a pair of US Senate seats in Georgia and the White House. However, a stalemate has prevented the party from taking control of key committees since the chamber is operating under the rules of the last Congress, when the GOP was in charge, delaying consideration of Cabinet nominees, including attorney general nominee Merrick Garland, who is expected to receive bipartisan support.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/03/politics/senate-power-sharing-agreement-reached/index.html

[still_one]

1. Finally

[flying_wahini]

2. This is Big. Push the obstructionist down the hill and get to work!

[bucolic_frolic]

3. What did we give up?

I thought this was a no-brainer, yet here we are weeks later.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I think it may have been more

that both sides had to re-jigger the committee assignments since the GOP lost 2 members and we gained 2 so each side needed to finalize who would be on what committees (and I think at least from the Democratic side, the Chairs were pretty much decided but the GOP might have decided to move people around and/or change "Ranking members" ).

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Thanks!

You always have the answers, and take the time.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. You are welcome!

I am just itching to muzzle Graham (although sometimes that is hard to do ).

[bdamomma]

16. Lindsey

Graham he's the thorn on our sides, I wish the SOS of Georgia would press charges against him when he called about overturning the election. What ever happened about that incident???? Or how did he squeak out win against Jaime Harrison????

I read Lindsay was holding up the nomination of Merrick Garland for the DOJ. WTF!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

19. I think GA was going to do some sortof investigation

although I don't know how far they wanted to go to basically throw their party under the bus but...

And yes, Graham was gonna hold up all sorts of things while he was still Chair of the Judiciary Committee. Dick Durbin will be taking over that role as Chair and it's way past time for Lindsey to go pound sand.

[BobTheSubgenius]

29. When it comes to punishment, Graham seems to be of a particular type.

"Thank you, sir! May I have another?" Drumpf walked all over him wearing golf shoes, and this shrinking violet came to love it, anyway. I have a feeling he might learn to enjoy the abrasive nature of sand.

[BumRushDaShow]

34. The irony here seems to be

the only one who could "keep him in line" was John McCain (although that generally involved 1-trick pony foreign policy issues).

[DLCWIdem]

39. Yes it was more

They also had to go over the rules they would be using to run the Senate such as the filibuster rule

[BumRushDaShow]

40. Well the filibuster rule seemed to be the only thing being discussed "in the news"

and I know that wouldn't have been the bulk of what they do when crafting one of those organizing resolutions (something they do every new "session" ).

[DLCWIdem]

41. Well it isn't only getting rid of it.

For example, I've heard of restructuring the filibuster so that senators would have to stay on the floor during the filibuster.. I've heard of making it 55 instead of 60.

[BumRushDaShow]

42. They have been threatening to make those types of changes for years

It took a long time for them to eventually take the cloture figure down from 2/3rds to 3/5ths as it is currently (I think that Rule change happened in 1975 if I ballpark remember correctly).

[DLCWIdem]

43. Yeah. Slow to change but my point was not just getting rid of it

[BumRushDaShow]

44. Well unless any GOP Senators cross over, Manchin's and Sinema's stated position on it

means that it's not going to be gotten rid of at this time.

[DLCWIdem]

46. Well since Manchin got a committee chair

He might just change his mind if the Republican get obstructionist. Just wait until a piece of there legislation gets blocked. They very well might change thier minds

[BumRushDaShow]

48. Given that the House

already had a (faux) Democrat switch parties (Jeff Van Drew now (R) NJ-2) I'd rather do more carrots than sticks with Manchin for the time being. Still have nightmares of the '90s when both Richard Shelby and Ben Nighthorse Campbell switched from (D) to (R) in the Senate. If we had a bigger margin, then it might make more sense to dangle (or take away) Chairmanships. But because we only hold the majority (and now the Chairs once the vote is done) due to VP Harris, then certain "battles" may have to wait for a better hand.

[madaboutharry]

4. Lindsey must be having a sad.

It is his last morning of behaving like a whiney brat over Merrick Garland's hearing before the committee.

[DFW]

12. I think the Graham Cracker was having flashbacks, as it is

He saw the name Merrick Garland, thought it was February--2016--and was looking for a way to stifle the nomination until after the next presidential election, whose outcome he had been informed of secretly by McTurtle.

[jmbar2]

15. Graham Cracker - bwa ha ha

Best moniker yet!

[PatSeg]

37. Yeah, that was a good one

I'm surprised it hadn't come up before.

[GoneOffShore]

23. Well, he's certainly crusty.

[machoneman]

27. Lindsey has been on a real losing streak of late: Trump, Senate committees and more! Love it!

[BobTheSubgenius]

31. He probably won't break stride.

He'll just move forward the next thing to whine about. I'm sure there's some trifling nonsense waiting in the wings for his snivelling attention.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Just about to post!

Time to get this passed and take over and send Graham into obscurity.

[Walleye]

8. Mitch is sounding particularly pitiful this morning

[3catwoman3]

9. So does this mean, for certain, that Linds-ass...

...Graham is finally not the chair of the judiciary committee anymore?

[groundloop]

10. All the committee chairs will be DEMOCRATS !!!!!!!

[getagrip_already]

11. This was NEVER going to be fast - several of were warning of this......

The senate is intentionally a "deliberative body" with rules and strings and tangles. Mcconnel had enough control to slow things down. He did.

It's over, and frankly sooner than I would have guessed, but it seems impeachment helps here since even manchin didn't want to be treated like a minority during the hearings.

If it passes today - great. Just don't become a concern troll if it goes another day (or..).

Now lets ensure our senators are safe and well protected, because each one is a walking target.

[question everything]

14. First thing, schedule Garland confirmation and a big kick in the ass to Graham

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

35. Should be the committees first task

Garland I mean. Graham may get off on the physical abuse however.

[honest.abe]

17. Excellent!

Well done Senate Majority Leader Schumer!

[Laelth]

18. Did we promise NOT to eliminate the filibuster?

That has been what McConnell was demanding before handing over the gavels. Did he get a promise from us on this? Anyone know?



-Laelth

[iluvtennis]

21. It was indirectly determined when Sinema and Manchin said they would vote NO on eliminating

the filibuster. This happened last week.

[Laelth]

24. So, no explicit promise from Schumer, then.

Manchin and Sinema can always change their minds if the circumstances are sufficiently dire.

-Laelth

[iluvtennis]

25. Correct. I recall nothing explicit from Schumer on this.

https://truthout.org/articles/centrist-democrats-manchin-sinema-side-with-mcconnell-to-protect-the-filibuster/

[groundloop]

30. CNN has updated their article to include this.... Moscow Mitch had wanted it in writing.

Moscow Mitch had been insisting on having MAJORITY LEADER Schumer put it in writing that he promised not to kill the filibuster. Moscow Mitch relented, supposedly after assurances from Manchin and Sinema that they didn't plan to go along with that.

[Laelth]

33. Thank you. n/t

-Laelth

[ananda]

20. Now we can get an AG named Merrick Garland!

And hopefully Reeps will see the painful side of justice!

[getagrip_already]

38. still subject to fillibuster.....

let's see if little lindsay goes there......

[PoliticAverse]

49. Cabinet appointments are no longer subject to being filibustered...

since Harry Reid ended filibusters for appointees.

Democrats vote to curb filibusters on appointees
https://news.yahoo.com/democrats-vote-curb-filibusters-appointees-174525409--politics.html

[getagrip_already]

50. didn't they just threaten to filibuster sec of interior appointment?

Or was it something else?

[iluvtennis]

22. Bout time - so tired of seeing McConnell and Graham thinking they control everything.

[Politicub]

28. I was fretting about this yesterday. It's a relief to read that an agreement

was reached.

On edit: it still need to be voted on. I hope that’s just a formality at this point.

[cilla4progress]

32. Why is

this?

[Snackshack]

36. SMH

Nice of the GOP to finally give the Dems permission to be the majority...

Take a picture because it will never happen again if the Dems do not WTFU and realize what the GOP is now. They are no longer “your honorable colleague across the isle”. The GOP treated Dems like 💩 for 8 yrs during PBO’s time and 10x worse the last 4 yrs. The ramming through of a SCOTUS judge and what appears to be a legitimate attempt on the very lives of Dem members of congress on 6 Jan....and still the GOP is covering for the person who instigated this.

If the Dems do not use this majority in both chambers and the WH to aggressively push through legislation to address voting issues i.e. ES&S electronic voting machines, gerrymandering, voting rights, election security before the next election in 2022 the GOP is going to come back (especially if there is no Rep. or Senator held accountable for “Big Lie” and riot support) with the lessons learned from this attempt to become a permanent majority again and again and again until they get it.

[11 Bravo]

45. I think Lindsay should be allowed to take the Judiciary committee gavel with him ...

after Chuck Schumer shoves it straight up his ass.

[djacq]

47. Is this how a former majority, now minority, clinged to power?