http://blogs.rollcall.com/hawkings/gop-throws-rulebook-at-obama-to-block-hi-agenda/ By David Hawkings Posted at 11:40 a.m. May 9 Republican resistance to President Barack Obama’s second-term plans intensified another couple of notches today. Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced they would simply ignore a provision in the health care law calling on each leader to pick someone for a new panel with the power to dictate Medicare spending reductions without fear of congressional reversal. The two said in a letter to Obama that such a bureaucratic maneuver was the best way they knew to protest the new Independent Payment Advisory Board, in light of their inability to kill it by repealing Obamacare completely. At the same time, all eight Republicans boycotted this morning’s meeting of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which under a wrinkle in the rules prevented the panel from advancing Gina McCarthy’s nomination to run the EPA. The protest came less than 18 hours after the Republicans on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions panel leveraged another obscure procedural obstacle to stop Thomas E. Perez’s nomination for Labor secretary from getting to the Senate floor. The question for the GOP is whether those oppositional tactics, which are all about passive parliamentary maneuvering rather than overt ideological argument, will provide any traction for their policy objectives or if they will only succeed at further annoying an electorate wary of partisan hijinks. Majority Leader Harry Reid sought to stoke that sentiment when the Senate opened for business. “This type of blanket, partisan obstruction used to be unheard of. Now it’s become, really, I guess, the pattern Republicans have adopted,” the Nevada Democrat said of the back-to-back committee delays. In the McCarthy case, at least, committee Republicans forcefully rebutted the idea that their walkout was simply a dilatory stunt. Instead, they said, they were protesting the notion that her nomination should be hustled along before they got answers — promised at her confirmation hearing — about her involvement in her current EPA post with matters of transparency. Republicans, who have made the agency a focus of their deregulatory efforts, say they have been too often stymied by officials denying or slow-walking requests from Congress or conservative advocacy groups for information. They also note that Democrats used the same sort of boycott against George W. Bush’s nominee to head the EPA a decade ago. In the Perez case, Wednesday’s delay appears designed to do no more than allow additional time for opposition to build. And the move appears to be working. McConnell signaled his opposition to Perez, the Justice Department’s top civil rights lawyer, and suggested the White House would need to find a filibuster-proof 60 votes. Perez would be the only Hispanic in the president’s second-term Cabinet. ---------------- Basically the Republicans are turning the Demo advantage into a disadvantage. The Demo party is much more easily divided than the Republican side. GOP Leaders Refuse to Name Obamacare Board Members Rules Watch: GOP Boycott to Delay EPA Nomination GOP Effort Against Labor Nominee Gains Steam
Basically the Republicans are turning the Demo advantage into a disadvantage. The Demo party is much more easily divided than the Republican side. This is what I said if you took a moment to look.
More childish games being played by sore losers who refuse to consider others' ideas. "I lost. I'm taking my ball and going home!" We're stuck in a permanent lame duck session.
No. Just because the Demos have a majority doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. If they really want to pass sensible bills and reforms then I guarantee the Republicans would be at the table.
That's strange, given that the whole purpose of the advisory board is to control and cut Medicare spending - something that has been on the GOP agenda for a long time.
They've delayed countless confirmations, a bill to tax and no reward companies that outsource job overseas, countless bills to support vets, political ad disclosure. Voted to maintain "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and against an Anti-Rape Ammendment to protect American women working overseas. That all seems like sensible bills and reforms to me. No?
Republicans boycotting a committee to dictate cuts in Medicare spending that Congress cant reverse. Aren't Republicans constantly trying to cut Medicare spending? Sounds sensible, good call.
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/05/08/obamas-approval-rating-higher-than-gop-congressional-leaders/ Americans are noticing. there are these things called midterm elections, I'm not sure the current Republican Party is aware of them...
No opinion; too easy to find examples on either side of the aisle - John Tower's Defense nomination and Clarence Thomas's near rejection come to mind. And no problem with it, either, parliamentary or retaliatory crap can be used stop filibusters and pass good legislation as well.
There's also a thing called pork; which tastes a lot better without the drench of a broken levy or the pall of a hundred dead GIs in the previous month (Oct 2006).
There is a thing called gerrymandering and safe districts and 95% of the time the candidate with the most money wins (it comes from the 1%) . America will really have to get F''ed before we have big change. The 1% are doing great so change won't happen till things get harder for the 99% and the stop believing Fox and Friends. But, hey, I hope American are noticing.
i don't think check and balance was intended to be like this our political system is broken while we stay idle, in a stalemate due to infighting, other countries make progress and gains do we still have the best political system in the world? At least we have the best idea. The idea is still there --- it starts with "we the people", the problem is it's no longer "we the people", but "we, the powerful". When close to 80% of the population think something is a good idea, and it can't get pass the Senate, something is wrong. Whether or not you agree to the idea, it's pretty telling that our politicians do NOT represent the people but small powerful interests.
IF the reverse were true. . .the demos would just have to suck it cause the Republicans would get it done no matter what the demos said or did The Demos are disorganized and weak Rocket River
Indeed. And it starts at the top. Meanwhile Barry has three campaign fundraising events in NYC this week. He chooses to spend his time campaigning rather than working with congress.