"There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year." -- Senator John McCain.
So that was just hyperbole, right? Oops.
ThinkProgress yesterday reported that all of Tuesday’s Senate committee and subcommittee hearings had to stop after 2:00 p.m. because of Republican objections. There is a little-noticed Senate rule that says committees need permission to meet anytime after two hours after the Senate convenes. Without permission, even a committee already in session has to stop meeting. No committee meetings are allowed to occur after 2:00 p.m.
The Senate generally waives this rule by unanimous consent at the start of business each day. But to protest health care legislation, Republicans have refused to give their consent this week, bringing committee work in the Senate to a virtual standstill. Today, the Senate convened at 9:00 a.m., meaning that hearings after 11:00 a.m. were blocked....In response to the GOP maneuvers, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) spokesman Jim Manley replied, “So let me get this straight: in retaliation for our efforts to have an up-or-down vote to improve health care reform, Republicans are blocking an Armed Services committee hearing to discuss critical national security issues among other committee meetings?”
I tell you, this veneration of Reagan has gone too far. They were just supposed to say "no" to drugs, not to doing their jobs.
1 comment:
When I was four, my mother wouldn't let me get a pair of jelly shoes because they were bad for my feet. I threw a tantrum on the floor of the shoe store and refused to go anywhere. I was unaware at the time that I was already (im)mature enough to be a member of Congress. It's too bad we can't ground these guys and send them to bed without dessert (as was my punishment).
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