Jeff Blattner Profile picture
Fmr Chief Counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy, Dep. Asst. AG, US DOJ, & S. Ct. law clerk. Pittsburgh guy now in Colorado.

Aug 11, 2021, 10 tweets

THREAD: What I would recommend on voting rights. Spend the month of October on the issue, as follows:
1. Introduce Manchin-Warnock-Klobuchar substitute as a freestanding bill. 1/n

2. Put it on Senate calendar using Rule 14. 2/n

3. Move to proceed to it in morning hour (non-debatable procedure used and championed by Senator Byrd). thehill.com/blogs/congress… 3/n

4. After opening of debate, open bill for amendments while using majority to table non-relevant amendments. 4/n

5. Give Republicans plenty of time — several weeks! — to offer relevant amendments. If they refuse to allow votes on amendments without 60 votes for cloture on amendments, use majority to table amendments. (Motions to table are non-debatable.) 5/n

6. If (when) GOP refuses to allow final vote on Manchin et al bill, file cloture motion to end debate on bill. 6/n

7. If (when) cloture vote falls short of 60, schedule another cloture vote a couple days later 7/n

8. If (when) second cloture vote falls short of 60 votes, raise a point of order that the minority has had ample time to amend the bill and therefore 60 votes are not needed to end debate. 8/n

9. The chair will reject the point of order. 9/n

10. Appeal the ruling of the chair. At that point, Sens. Manchin, Sinema et al have a choice: preserve democracy or the filibuster. Let us hope they choose wisely. END

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