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Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

Harry Reid’s Parting Shot: Dems Will Nuke The Filibuster For SCOTUS

Author:     Lauren Fox
Source:     Talking Points Memo
Publication Date:     October 24, 2016, 1:16 PM EDT
 Link: Harry Reid’s Parting Shot: Dems Will Nuke The Filibuster For SCOTUS
Stephan:   I believe two major changes are coming in our democracy. The original Supreme Court had six Justices, a Chief Justice and five Associate Justices. So the court can function. What I see is that the effect of this Republican senate blockage  is increasing the probability of ties, which has the effect of leaving the lower court judgment standing. That will shift effective power to lower courts. I wonder if the Republicans have thought this through? It doesn't seem like it. And then there is the "nuclear option" change in the senate rules about Supreme Court Justices discussed in this article.

Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he is confident that he has laid the groundwork for Democrats to nuke the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees if they win back the Senate in November.

Envisioning Hillary Clinton in the White House and Democrats controlling the Senate, Reid warned that if a Senate Republican minority block her Supreme Court nominee, he is confident the party won’t hesitate to change the filibuster rules again.

Such a move would be an extension of what Reid did in 2013 when he was still majority leader, eliminating filibusters (with a simple majority vote) on the President’s nominees. There was only one exception: the Supreme Court. As it stands now, Democrats still need 60 votes to move forward with a Supreme Court nominee.

Reid said, however, that could change.

“I really do believe that I have set the Senate so when I leave, we’re going to be able to get judges done with a majority. It takes only a simple majority anymore. And, it’s clear to me that if the Republicans try to filibuster another circuit court judge, but especially a Supreme Court justice, I’ve told ’em how and I’ve done it, not just […]

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