No great realizations to share today. I, like everyone else, am frustrated with the Democrats continuing to thwart the progress of government by refusing to pass a continuing resolution bill in the Senate. I’m really steamed about their refusal to pass a smaller bill enabling the government to pay essential workers and military members. The minority whip in the House admitted that they are prepared to allow families to suffer but pointed out that this is the only time the Democrats have leverage to get what they want. In other words because of what I believe to be a stupid, yep, stupid rule in the Senate the Democrats get to hold the government and the American people hostage.
Make no mistake, this is a hostage situation and the Democrats are responsible. The American people voted last November that they wanted the Republicans to run the government for the next two years and now the Democrats have decided they know better and have used an internal rule that should never have existed, to stymie the will of the majority of the electorate. If you want to talk about authoritarianism look no further that what a minority is doing to impede the wishes of the majority. One of the few has said they will continue to do it until they get their way or an airplane falls out of the sky.
This is brutal. I believe the Senate majority leader should address this matter by calling for a rule change and exercising the “Nuclear Option” which will drop the required votes to a simple majority. Why have a sixty vote requirement? We are a democratic republic, each state is equally represented in the Senate and as such a simple majority should suffice on all issues unless otherwise specified in the Constitution. When a party gains control of a branch of government they should be able to exercise that control without the minority group being able to thwart the electorate that gave control to one party. It’s called winning and the winners should get to enact the laws the majority of the electorate wanted to see enacted as expressed by their choice in an election.
Bring the Senate and House into the twenty-first century by getting rid of the arcane rules system they use to conduct business. If it isn’t specified in the Constitution then a majority rules. When a political party and its members are willing to take the entire nation hostage to get $3 million dollars for cooking and dancing lessons for male prostitutes in Haiti (yes it is in the Democratic spending bill) then someone needs to take action. Senator Thune, today that someone is you.