General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDemocrats need to grind government to a standstill until ALL of the detained children are retuned
to their families. The media has moved on from this crime against humanity. We need to put a stop to it now.
TexasTowelie
(112,141 posts)Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business
U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 5
[Update: Since publishing this piece, I'm reminded that Alabama Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election earlier this year. My bad for the oversight. However, this makes the partisan divide even more favorable to the Democrats 50-49. Fifty senators is not a majority. It would take a truly unusual ruling by the Parliamentarian to allow the Vice President to help constitute a quorum, and even if he did so rule, Democrats would then be in position to tie to their Senate chairs not only all Republican senators, but Vice President Mike Pence as well. In other words, the Democrats' hand is even stronger.]
I'm going to expand on this in a longer piece, but the point is too important not to pass on now. If Democrats are truly serious about blocking any Trump-nominated Supreme Court justice, there is a way. But they have to actually want to block the nomination, not just say they want to.
Read more: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2018/07/how-to-block-trump-nomination-shut-down.html
lapfog_1
(29,199 posts)The Senate is assumed to be in session UNLESS a quorum call is made and a majority (51) Senators are not present... however, a Senator must make the quorum call.
That presents a catch-22. For a Senator to make the quorum call, that Senator (one of our Democrats) must be present...
That leaves 50 Republicans plus 1 Democrat present. Quorum established without using Pence. This is assuming McCain never returns to the Senate floor even for this quorum call vote and/or any actions on the confirmation of the nominee.
Amishman
(5,557 posts)My guess is if a D senator calls for quorum and leaves, he will have half a dozen officers tailing him
Plus the optics if this would almost certainly cost us a few senate seats in red States.
It's just a terrible plan all around
byronius
(7,394 posts)gopiscrap
(23,757 posts)GENERAL STRIKE!!!
Lady_Chat
(561 posts)This is the first 4th of July, where I really felt sick to my stomach, all the flag waving and talk about "freedom" while these kids are in cages, it just doesn't feel like America anymore to me. Has this country become that numb and unfeeling? It's just so sad, and I don't know what can be done to get people involved.