Military leaders claim Tommy Tuberville’s actions are a national security risk, but the senator is defiant.

  • IHeartBadCode@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    ·
    10 months ago

    Not to mention that because of the standing rules of the Senate, all you have to do is send an email saying you’re filibustering and any one person can bring to halt something all the other 99 Senators just want to move on to the next topic.

    Literally this guy stands alone on this and the brain dead rules allow him and him alone to bring it all to a halt.

    • flipht@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      41
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      10 months ago

      And the rules won’t change because most of the Senate loves that someone else can halt things, take the heat, and then they won’t have to deal with unpopular decisions.

      Not in this case, but they’re literally willing to force the military fuck over career professionals so that they can keep their cushy plausible deniability.

    • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      10 months ago

      Well no, they could hold a cloture vote any time on every nominee. They need 67 senators to vote to end the filibuster.

      They haven’t forced cloture because enough republicans support him in the background and wouldn’t vote for it.

      • Dark Arc@social.packetloss.gg
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        10 months ago

        They could also change the rules with a simple majority and do what needs done, but that’s going to be a last resort desperate measure.

        • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          10 months ago

          It funny/sad that allowing the Senate to function in the absence of a supermajority is seen as a desperate measure. Too me it seems like the only reasonable thing to do.

    • Dr. Dabbles@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      10 months ago

      So many self-serving rules. And honestly, if we held any of them accountable to their campaign promises we might actually have a functioning congress. But here we are.

    • Rob@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      10 months ago

      This is the real problem, and it’s infuriating. Not only because of the way it stops the Senate from doing so many things, but because so many people now believe it’s how the filibuster had always worked. And so people hate it.

      But, in fact, the filibuster, in its original form, is a powerful tool the minority can use to make its voice heard and perhaps even effect change. It needs to come back - make Tuberville stand up and talk for hours on end for each of these appointees he opposes. Make McTurtle totter to center stage and wheeze for as long as he can the next time he wants to block a Democrat President’s Supreme Court Judge.

      I’ll bring the popcorn.