Dems blast McConnell for threatening to filibuster power-sharing agreement – so GOP can block all Democratic votes
22 January 2021
Democrats urged to reject 'desperate' McConnell effort to preserve filibuster and kneecap Biden agenda
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is entering his new, less powerful role the same way he managed the Senate when he was Majority Leader, with one purpose in mind: block everything Democrats want.
Democratic Senators on Thursday blasted McConnell publicly after he threatened to filibuster the organizing agreement, which specifies how many Senators from each party sit on committees and who chairs them.
CNN's Manu Raju notes if there is no power-sharing agreement, "the Senate will operate under the rules of the last Congress when the GOP controlled Senate majority and held committee chairs."
At the center of McConnell's obstruction: he's demanding Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) commit to keeping the filibuster – which would allow Republicans to block and jettison everything Democrats want. That means Republicans could block all of President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees, and all legislation Democrats want to pass, as Bloomberg's Steven Dennis reports:
McConnell on Senate floor both makes clear Republicans are prepared to block a lot of Biden's agenda while simultaneously insisting Schumer commit to preserving the filibuster rule, which enables them to do just that.
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) January 21, 2021
Under the false cloak of "unity," McConnell is making "unprecedented, wacky, counterproductive" demands, according to at least one Democratic Senator, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), the Chief Deputy Whip.
McConnell is threatening to filibuster the Organizing Resolution which allows Democrats to assume the committee Chair positions. It's an absolutely unprecedented, wacky, counterproductive request. We won the Senate. We get the gavels.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 21, 2021
In fact, McConnell claims Democrats should commit to handing Republicans full power to toally obstruct, under the guise of "unity."
"If the talk of unity and common ground is to have meaning..." - McConnell on his demand that Democrats commit to preserving the filibuster rule.
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) January 21, 2021
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) slammed McConnell's hypocrisy:
So after Mitch McConnell changed the Senate rules at a blistering pace during his 6 years in charge, he is threatening to filibuster the Senate's organizing resolution unless the Democratic majority agrees to never change the rules again.
Huh.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 21, 2021
Mother Jones's Ari Berman, one of the nation's top voting rights experts:
The last person who should be lecturing Democrats on democratic norms is Mitch McConnell, who blocked Merrick Garland for 237 days before election but confirmed Amy Coney Barrett 8 days before election when 65 million people had already voted
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 21, 2021
New York Times' contributing opinion writer, attorney, and playwright Wajahat Ali suggests Democrats adopt more of a scorched earth strategy:
Mcconnell is owed nothing. He said his proudest accomplishment was to obstruct Obama. He hoped to make him a one term President. Investigate the violent insurrection and reveal the info to the public. Itll be immensely damaging to the GOP. Also kill the filibuster. https://t.co/UHmgpP207N
— Wajahat "Notoriously Brown" Ali (@WajahatAli) January 21, 2021
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