Serious question re: Gorsuch. Why can't all or more Dem Senators run out the clock. Keep wasting

[Maraya1969]

time until the president is arrested or kicked out or what have you? The damn Republicans wasted God knows how much time repealing Obama Care 60+ times why can't our senators waste time until this administration finalizes its almost 100% probably implosion?

I am really heart sick at the thought of this man getting a seat on the Supreme Court. Especially after listening to Sheldon Whitehouse talk about all the 5/4 decisions , including Citizens United, that has been so horribly destructive to our country and people. And then reading about his lack of empathy, which is just like Trump and might possibly put him under the Narcissism umbrella with him.

And didn't it just become clear that he may committed a crime by plagiarism?

He is another mean, capitalist who thinks people mean less than companies and he will be in this position FOR LIFE!

Our country cannot handle anymore of this.

If there was a time to pull out all the stops I think it is now.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. That's what a filibuster is, but the GOP are not patriotic so they will

kill the filibuster and allow the seat to be stolen.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Because if in fact the Republicans have the 51 votes to use the nuclear option...

they can force a vote on Gorsuch in the near future.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Or for someone else who might be even worse.

And as bad as he is, there are worse ones out there.

[Maraya1969]

7. Worrying about someone who can be worse is not a reason to allow this guy though. He

has a serious lack of empathy and an overabundant love of companies over people. Sheldon Whitehouse gave a lot of examples of how he always sides with companies, even to the extent that a person who chose life over death should still lose their job because........because he doesn't see people!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Maybe not, but have a look at William Pryor,

one of the runners-up, who as attorney general of Alabama defended the state’s practice of handcuffing prison inmates to hitching posts in the hot sun if they refused to work on chain gangs. I'm just saying that anyone who might be nominated if Gorsuch is not confirmed isn't likely to be any better.

[FBaggins]

17. Your position has a fatal flaw

It assumes that we have a choice on whether or not to "allow" him through.

We don't.

He will either go through while we hold out hope of stopping who will absolutely be worse (not "might be&quot ... or he can go through over the filibuster's dead body.

[Maraya1969]

18. If we hold a 60 days filibuster like the racists did in 1964 to try and stop the civil rights act

they all might be in jail by then and the question would be moot.

[FBaggins]

21. That isn't an option

We don't have the ability to declare such a filibuster over their majority power.

[Maraya1969]

5. How can they force the vote if one senator after another gets up to speak? Aren't they all allowed

to speak? And there are 46+ of them

[PoliticAverse]

8. Although the Senate allows members to talk as long as they want...

debate on a topic can be ended by a "cloture vote" (requiring 60 votes to pass) or use of the
"nuclear option" (requiring 51 votes).

See:
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Filibuster_Cloture.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option

[Maraya1969]

11. I don't see anything that says they can stop the Senators from speaking. They once went on for 60

days! Now think of what will happen in 60 in this president's lifetime.

And the ones who used this the most were the ones trying to block civil rights. We should try at least as hard to give civil rights to people that they do to take them away.


From your first link:


. "Filibusters were particularly useful to Southern senators who sought to block civil rights legislation, including anti-lynching legislation, until cloture was invoked after a 60 day filibuster against the Civil Right Act of 1964. In 1975, the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths, or 60 of the current one hundred senators."

[PoliticAverse]

13. Debate went on for 60 days because they didn't have the necessary votes to stop the debate.

Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2017, 06:23 PM - Edit history (2)

The Republicans apparently don't have the 60 votes to stop debate on Gorsuch now using cloture, but they may have the 51 votes necessary to stop debate using the "nuclear option".

[Maraya1969]

19. So what? They just break in the line and say, "We're going to have a vote" even though

I thought Senate rules require that everyone be allowed to speak?

If that is the case then they could just vote and the Dems would not be speaking now.

If not then each and every one of them can talk as long as they want and after all 46 or so speak then they can have the vote.

In the meantime, watch what happens in the White House. Trump might be in jail

[FBaggins]

22. The Senate rules do not require that everyone be allowed to speak.

They are intended to facilitate a more deliberative process, but they aren't absolute.

So... for instance... they filed for cloture yesterday, but that doesn't shut down debate immediately.

[PoliticAverse]

23. Yes a Senator can present a cloture motion by interupting another Senator...

From: https://www.senate.gov/CRSpubs/be873e40-a966-4feb-9d72-cf23a93cbe46.pdf
Invoking Cloture in the Senate

First, at least 16 Senators sign a cloture motion (also called a cloture petition)
that states: “We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move to bring to a close
the debate upon [the matter in question].”

To present a cloture motion, a Senator may interrupt another Senator who is
speaking. When the motion is presented, the clerk reads it.

The cloture motion then lies over until the second calendar day on which the
Senate is in session. For example, if the motion is filed on Monday, it lies over
until Wednesday, assuming the Senate is in session daily. If the motion is filed on
Friday, it lies over until Tuesday unless the Senate was in session on Saturday or
Sunday.

The Senate votes on the cloture motion one hour after it convenes on the second
calendar day after the cloture motion was filed and after a quorum call has
established the presence of a quorum. The time for the cloture vote may be
changed by unanimous consent, and the required quorum call is routinely
waived.

The presiding officer presents the cloture motion to the Senate for a rollcall vote
at the time required by Rule XXII, even if the Senate had been considering other
business between the time the cloture motion was filed and the time for voting on
the motion arrives.

McConnell filed for cloture Tuesday (see:
https://democrats.senate.gov/2017/04/04/mcconnell-files-cloture-on-gorsuch-nomination/#.WOV3fskpBlY )
so debate can continue until Thursday one hour after the Senate session starts. Then the cloture motion
will be voted on and we find out if the Democrats have enough votes to defeat the motion and continue
the filibuster.

[FBaggins]

24. And then... if Reid's script is followed...

The majority leader stands up with a point of order (which can also interrupt other speakers) - to say: "You know Mr Speaker... it just occurred to me that the Constitution doesn't allow us to filibuster in this case"... then the Speaker says "Wow... you're right! How did we miss that?" and rules that there can't be a filibuster for Supreme Court judges. A Democrat objects to the ruling and the full Senate votes on the matter - with a simple majority standard.

[VMA131Marine]

3. Plagiarism is not (generally) a crime

At worst, a plagiarist would be the target of a civil suit for infringement of copyright.

[Maraya1969]

6. I looked it up and if it violates the other person it can be a crime. I don't know who he stole

from and no one knows the extent that he may have stolen yet.

That's the thing about becoming a public figure now, every looks everything up!

[Maraya1969]

9. So far no one has explained how they can force a vote when the Democrats are still talking.

46 people, one at a time can talk an awful long time.

I've heard people say they can "Forced" a vote. How can they "Force" a vote when the other sides has the floor?


I am serious.

[FBaggins]

12. The right to hold the floor is not absolute

... and you have to be recognized by the chair before you are granted the floor.

[BigmanPigman]

10. Merkley did and he

deserves credit for the effort!

[FBaggins]

14. He didn't really do anything

Under the cloture rules, they triggered an automatic period of debate that ends tomorrow. The Senate could then move on to other matters while the click runs out (including going home for the night), or the minority can fill those hours with actual debate. All Merkley did was use the overnight hours.

[Maraya1969]

20. Too bad they couldn't get a hold of some of the R's search histories and read them all night.

[PoliticAverse]

15. Merkley didn't actually delay the Gorsuch vote as it isn't scheduled to take place...

until Friday.