Norms only work if both parties observe them.
Right now the main use of “norms” in the US Senate is Republicans invoking them to browbeat compliant Democrats into giving them more power.
Until the system is fixed, Democrats need to check their reflexive deference to norms.
Right now the main use of “norms” in the US Senate is Republicans invoking them to browbeat compliant Democrats into giving them more power.
Until the system is fixed, Democrats need to check their reflexive deference to norms.
Believe me, I’m well aware that Reid led the rule change that lowered the threshold for confirming non-SCOTUS judges to a majority.
But Republicans only have 51 votes, and they have attendance problems.
thehill.com/homenews/admin…
But Republicans only have 51 votes, and they have attendance problems.
thehill.com/homenews/admin…
If Dems denied all time agreements (this only requires one senator to object) & forced Republicans to produce all votes for all of Trump’s judicial nominees, Trump would get fewer judges confirmed.
The power is there. Democrats just need the will and the discipline to use it.
The power is there. Democrats just need the will and the discipline to use it.
In Senate speak a “time agreement” is an agreement passed by unanimous consent (ie, consent of all 100 Senators) to hold votes at a certain time - usually, times that are convenient for senators.
The agreements can also speed up confirmations by skipping procedural hurdles.
The agreements can also speed up confirmations by skipping procedural hurdles.
Most of the confirmation votes on Trump judges are being held under time agreements.
Sometimes the time agreements schedule the votes no earlier than they would happen if all procedural clocks were run. In those cases the agreements do not speed up the confirmations.
Sometimes the time agreements schedule the votes no earlier than they would happen if all procedural clocks were run. In those cases the agreements do not speed up the confirmations.
But even when time agreements don’t speed up the process, they do schedule the votes at convenient times of day, helping ensure Republicans can have all 51 senators present to confirm a given nominee.
Pulling something like this off would require enormous dedication and discipline.
And it’s entirely possible that McConnell would still be able to muster the votes for all of Trump’s judicial nominees.
And it’s entirely possible that McConnell would still be able to muster the votes for all of Trump’s judicial nominees.
I forgot to mention: you’d only need one Democratic senator on the floor at all times to execute this plan.
It only takes one senator’s objection to block a time agreement, and Dems don’t have to be present to force Republicans to produce all the confirmation votes.
It only takes one senator’s objection to block a time agreement, and Dems don’t have to be present to force Republicans to produce all the confirmation votes.
So while there’s no guarantee this would work, a) you can’t win a fight you don’t show up for b) there’s little cost to trying and c) it’s likely that forcing Republicans to produce all 51 votes to confirm all Trump judges, often late at nght, would result in fewer Trump judges.
