A) From colleague Kelly Phares. Ocasio-Cortez on if the Hse should continue proxy voting: If we get to a vaccination level, where the House physician can confidently say that we are not putting support staff in danger, then I think.. that's the measure we should look for
B) Ocasio-Cortez: I certainly think that there should there should definitely be a discussion around which conditions that proxy voting may be appropriate to maintain. I do think it's important that we are here doing our work.
C) Ocasio-Cortez: At the same time, if someone is in a medical emergency or something to that effect. There should be a discussion about whether we can maintain proxy voting in some of those circumstances..we have to be here to do our job.
D) Ocasio-Cortez: This is not a job I believe that can be done totally remotely. And so I think there's a happy medium that we can find, but I certainly think that there's a discussion to be had there on proximity.
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1) Feinstein on filibuster:
There are many significant issues Congress needs to address. Just this week we saw a union of gun violence, violence against women and hate crimes in the tragic shootings in Atlanta.
2) Feinstein: I have tried for years to pass legislation in these areas. This month the House passed bills to improve background checks for gun purchases and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, among other key legislation.
3) Feinstein: But if that proves impossible and Republicans continue to abuse the filibuster by requiring cloture votes, I’m open to changing the way the Senate filibuster rules are used.
26) The Senate can establish a new “precedent” and upend current filibuster provisions with just 51 votes. So far, filibuster reform advocates lack the necessary votes for a new precedent. That could change. Think of the Senate as a political hothouse over the next few months.
27) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he’ll put various bills which pass the House – even if they fail. This accomplishes two goals. First, these various bills will face s filibusters, stunting their passage.
28) That very well could bolster support to end the filibuster. Liberals hope such legislative cul-de-sacs will apply pressure on senators otherwise unwilling to upend the filibuster.
1) The Hitchhiker's Guide to Understanding Potential Changes to the Senate Filibuster:
2) The iconic, 1939 Frank Capra classic starring Jimmy Stewart iconized the filibuster in the American political experience. Social studies and history teachers showed the film in class to demonstrate the filibuster.
3) In the film, Stewart’s character seizes the Senate floor for hours, blocking a spending bill and exposing graft. This is what we would contemporarily refer to as a “speaking” filibuster.
A) Schiff: Congressman Swalwell is a trusted and valued member of our committee. He was given a counterintelligence briefing years ago and acted fully in accordance with his responsibilities, as we would expect of any member of our committee.
B) Schiff: A hard-working and diligent member, he will continue to make great contributions to our national security.
C) Schiff: It’s disturbing that Kevin McCarthy is attempting to weaponize classified counterintelligence briefings as a political cudgel, and use them to smear a House colleague in the process.
1) Schiff letter to Hse mbrs on McCarthy effort to remove Swalwell from Intel Cmte: "Congressman Swalwell is a trusted member of our committee. He was given a counterintelligence briefing in 2015 and acted fully in accordance with his responsibilities"
2) Schiff: "Congressional leaders, including then Speaker John Boehner and then Chairman Devin Nunes, were briefed at the time and expressed no opposition to his continued service on the committee."
3) Schiff: "An FBI official familiar with the investigation has stated that, “Swalwell was completely cooperative and under no suspicion of wrongdoing.”
1) Some context on Dems potentially eliminating the filibuster. WH’S Psaki on 3/8 on what Biden wants regarding the filibuster: “His preference is not to make changes to the filibuster rules”
2) Actually changing the filibuster “rule” (Senate Rule XXII) requires 67 (!) votes to end debate on changing that rule.
3) However, the two most recent encroachments into the Senate filibuster procedures (via Nuclear Option I in 2013 and Nuclear Option II in 2017) dealt with establishing a new PRECEDENT. The Senate conducts much of its business, not by its Standing Rules, but by PRECEDENT.