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Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) intends to introduce legislation that would take away the minority’s power to filibuster legislation.
Harkin has wanted to change the filibuster for years, but his move would come in the wake of Republican Scott Brown’s dramatic victory in Massachusetts. Brown’s victory cost Democrats their 60th vote in the Senate, and may have dealt a death blow to their hopes to move a massive healthcare overhaul. It could also limit President Barack Obama’s ability to move other pieces of his agenda forward.
Looks like Democrats are looking for another way to ram their health care bill through Congress. On the surface, it looks like a long shot, since modern Senate rules maintain that 67 votes are needed to change the rules. But there was a Supreme Court ruling in 1892 (US v. Ballin), that made only a simple majority necessary to accomplish it. Things could get really ugly here in the next few months, and possibly another case could be headed for the Supremes to decide.
Article is here.
I believe that, while Republicans are in the right at this time, it wasn't long ago (2005) that roles were reversed, and it was Republicans planning the "nuclear option" and Democrats screaming their heads off. The bad news is that Republicans are going to end up looking like hypocrites here, but the good news is so will the Democrats. LOL.
I also made a post on my blog about this.
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