WASHINGTON, D.C.–The reaction to a rule change in the Senate that will ultimately result in Pres. Obama’s appointments to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington, D.C., being pushed through and made final was immediate from Mississippi’s senators. To sum it up, they don’t like it.
The rule change, under the watch of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), means a major change in the Senate, one that some say will forever alter the way the body operates.
In short, it eliminates filibusters for presidential nominees by making confirmation possible with a simple majority vote, not the 60 plus votes it takes now.
Republicans immediately decried the rule change, saying it had been in place for over 200 years and was a check for the president’s nominations.
“The raw abuse of power being displayed by Senate Democrats is reminiscent of their purely partisan efforts to pass Obamacare four years ago,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R).” Further, they have tarnished the integrity of the institution by ignoring 225 years of precedent and trampling the rights of the minority party and the millions of Americans we represent.
“The Founding Fathers intended the Senate to be the most deliberative legislative body the world has ever seen. Unfortunately, actions taken today by the majority party have upended the chamber’s tradition of thoughtful and reasoned legislating.”
“The Democratic majority’s action to overturn nearly 225 years of precedent will transform how the United States Senate conducts its business, and not for the better,” said Sen. Thad Cochran in a statement Thursday. “Allowing a simple majority to end debate is a mistake and greatly diminishes the Senate’s responsibility to provide advice and consent as set out in the Constitution. The Senate was never intended to operate like the House of Representatives or to serve as a rubber stamp for any President. This historic institution and the American people have lost something very important and special.”
The change seriously limits the options of the minority, which in this case, are Republicans.
