Democrats Have Forgotten About Establishing A Floor

Bush s first term senate democrats pioneered the use of the filibuster to block nominees to the circuit courts.

Democrats have forgotten about establishing a floor.

Miguel estrada was left hanging for 28 months before he withdrew though he had support from 55 senators. Vis à vis the filibuster the journal wrote it s mostly forgotten now but in george w. If the roles were reversed and mcconnell were in the minority we all know he would find a way to grind the process to a halt. Now however those same democrats are so desperate to keep president trump from nominating a replacement for the late justice ginsburg that they seem to have forgotten all of the constitutional.

As the minority party following a disastrous midterm in 2014 they could not force a committee or a floor. Senate democrats blocked the gop s attempt to advance a skinny 500 billion coronavirus. Even as the high court s ideological balance is. While democrats power to stop a trump nominee is certainly limited there s one way to know they have at least some power to obstruct.

That was also unprecedented. Democrats were outraged of course but were short of tools with which to respond. More than 6 5 million americans have been infected with the virus and more than 194 000 have died. Instead of opening a formal impeachment inquiry in ukrainegate democrats should have calmed down taken a deep breath and counted to 67.

Democrats in congress have done little more than pay lip service to bipartisanship in the week since the passing of justice ruth bader ginsburg. That fact means democrats have at least some power they could use.