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Did Senator Coburn Really Promise Not To Delay Reconciliation Bill?

By: AndrewHyman (Diary)  |  March 14th, 2010 at 08:11 PM  | 

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According to sometimes-reliable Associated Press:

Conservative Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said in an interview that Republicans “won’t have any trouble having hundreds of amendments,” though he said each would make a valid point and not be aimed at delay.

I have some big problems with this, if it’s really true.  First of all, a strategy of “messaging amendments” didn’t exactly work wonders back in December on the main Health Care Bill, so I wouldn’t be optimistic that it would work well on a reconciliation bill either.  Secondly, the GOP has every right under the Senate Rules to delay the reconciliation bill by making as many amendments as the GOP wants to make.  If the Democrats want to stop the amendments, they would have to invoke cloture on the reconciliation bill.  Former Senate Parliamentarian Robert Dove explained on March 12:

John Fortier, American Enterprise Institute, Research Fellow: “The reconciliation process would result in a finite debate, but there is some talk about the question of Republicans being able to offer dilatory amendments and whether that might cause the parliamentarian or the chair to rule that those are somehow out of order.  Without getting too much into process, what are your thoughts?”

Robert Dove, Former Senate Parliamentarian: “There is no such thing in the Senate as dilatory amendments unless you are using the cloture rule and you are under cloture.  For amendments to be ruled dilatory outside of cloture would be a total departure from Senate practice.  It has never happened. I hope it doesn’t happen now.”

Of course, if Democratic Senators cannot muster 60 votes to invoke cloture on reconciliation, they could by a simple majority invoke the nuclear option.  But that’s true of every GOP filibuster on every bill.  Why would Senator Coburn want to cave in on this particular bill?  Or maybe Associated Press misquoted him.  Does anyone have a transcript of the Coburn interview?

COMMENTS

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  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    Because it takes real courage to fight for the rights of the American people. Gee, talking heads at MSNBC might call you a bad name.

    Recall, Coburn announced with much fanfare that he was going to start requiring three readings of all amendments. Never happened. Then when he DID demand a reading of Bernie Sanders’ 700 page amendment, Sanders “pulled” the amendment, contrary to the Senate Rules (once a reading starts, it can’t be stopped — but the Dems did it anyways — we all recall the huge firestorm the GOP senators created over that, right (that’s sarcasm)).

    Let’s face facts. Even the supposed “courageous” GOP senators aren’t all that. Those are just the facts. Actions speak louder than words.

    Thank you.
    ColdWarrior
    No More Scozzafavas!
    Become a Republican precinct committeeman. NOW!

    • AndrewHyman

      I never quite understood why Sanders couldn’t withdraw his amendment. Senate Rule XV, section 2, in the Standing Rules of the Senate says:

      Any motion, amendment, or resolution may be withdrawn or modified by the mover at any time before a decision, amendment or ordering of the yeas and nays, except a motion to reconsider, which shall not be withdrawn without leave.

      So, as far as I can tell, Senator Coburn has been obstructing when it is NOT allowed, and not obstructing when it IS allowed. :-)

      I could be mistaken, of course.

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    but every GOP senator, since we’re in the minority, ought to be.

    I never liked Bob Dole much, but at least he prided himself on being an expert on the Rules.

    I understand, based on news reports, that once a senator demands a reading of an amendment, the Rules require that the reading completes before any other senate business can be conducted. Period.

    The Debtocrats violated that rule by pulling the Sanders amendment from the floor.

    And nary a peep came from the Republicans. Pathetic.

    The sad fact remains that the Republicans have no idea that if they would FIGHT for the individual liberties of the American people the American people would support them.

    Whether they know this or not, they still ought to FIGHT.

    But they don’t.

    Why? No courage.

    Why are they our servants? Because too many of us conservatives have ceded the field of politics to others.

    Dems da facts.

    Indeed, if we are to have a political revolution in this country, we must begin to realize that in a constitutional republic, CITIZEN is the highest officeholder. Not the Prez, not the congresscritters. UNITED citizens are the sovereign power under our Constitution. “We the People.” The problem is that “we the people” are long on words and short on action. If we UNITE within the Republican Party we can win every election.

    So, what will YOU DO?????

    This is directed to every Redstater: what will you say when your child or grandchild asks you, “Why didn’t YOU stop Obama and the Commies?”

    Will you at least be able to say: “Well, at least I became a voting member of the Republican Party — a precinct committeeman?”

    I will.

    Thank you.
    ColdWarrior
    No More Scozzafavas!
    Become a Republican precinct committeeman. NOW!

    • AndrewHyman

      I will look into that precinct committeeman stuff. I’ve been meaning to do it, but will actually do it this week. Promise.

      It’s too bad the rules in the Senate are so darned complicated. But, it’s worthwhile for citizens to at least try to make sense of it. If I find any new info to indicate that the Diary Post above is inaccurate or incomplete, I’ll put it into this comment thread.

    • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth

      …when the parliamentarian ruled that this could be done. So if I remember the event correctly, it wasn’t silent acquiescence by the minority, it was brute force by the majority.

      • Mary Beth
      • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

        http://www.examiner.com/x-25466-DC-Independent-Examiner~y2009m12d17-Senate-Democrats-brazenly-violate-parliamentary-rules

        The courageous Republicans (that’s sarcasm) should have closed ranks and screamed bloody murder. They didn’t. Why not? Because they see no threat to their re-election chances. Why not? Because they see no invasion of the Party at the grass roots level — in the precinct committeeman ranks — by conservatives.

        We conservatives get the “leadership” in the Party that our inaction deserves.

        Dems da facts. If the status quo doesn’t change, the “leadership” won’t.

        It’s been said that trying to organize Republicans is like herding cats. Seems like trying to motivate and organize conservative Republicans to actually get involved in party politics, as opposed to just talking and typing about it, is like herding kittens.

        Are you a PC yet? I hope so. If not, I hope you’ll become one ASAP.

        Thank you.
        ColdWarrior
        No More Scozzafavas!
        Become a Republican precinct committeeman. NOW!

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    That “precinct committeeman stuff” is THE MOST IMPORTANT “STUFF” we conservatives need to know about and carry through on.

    It may not be your fault that you don’t know anything about it — some public school systems teach NOTHING about basic civics.

    Go to my blog (see the link below) and learn about the basics and then get to your next local GOP meeting and become a voting member of the Party. If it’s already too late in your state, keep going to the meetings and become one in the next election cycle. Meanwhile, become a volunteer for the BEST conservative candidates running in the Republican primaries.

    Thank you.
    ColdWarrior
    No More Scozzafavas!
    Become a Republican precinct committeeman. NOW!

  • AndrewHyman

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34605_Page2.html

    So, if the Reconciliation Bill passes in the House, it appears that at least Senator Coburn will not be using amendments to block passage in the Senate. However, it would only take a few other GOP Senators to do that.

    • AndrewHyman

      It would require all the GOP Senators to stick together in a cloture vote on the Reconciliation Bill.