Democrats May Force All-Night Session To Break Bunning's Filibuster

[jefferson_dem]

Democrats May Force All-Night Session
March 2, 2010, 4:40 p.m.
By John Stanton
Roll Call Staff

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Democrats are hoping to turn the procedural tables on Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and use Senate rules to break his blockade against an extension of unemployment insurance, including possibly forcing a round-the-clock session.

Newly energized Democrats, who believe they have gained the political upper hand thanks to Bunning’s one-man crusade against the short-term benefits extension, rejected outright a Republican proposal to allow three votes on pay-fors for the bill before a vote on final passage. Bunning has demanded the measure, which would run for one month at a cost of $10 billion, be paid for.

“We’re not having four votes,” Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday following a weekly Conference luncheon in which Democrats rejected the GOP offer. Although Reid and his colleagues are willing to allow one vote on a pay-for — the original agreement Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cut last week — they see no reason to go further in mollifying Bunning.

Although no final decisions have been made, Democrats confirmed it is increasingly likely that Democrats will force Bunning into an actual filibuster of unemployment insurance extension Tuesday night by repeatedly offering up unanimous consent agreements to bring the bill to a vote.

Although Members often threaten actual filibusters, they rarely materialize. Instead, lawmakers tend to rely on “Cadillac filibusters,” essentially stalling procedures that can be used to block legislation without having to actually stay put on the Senate floor.

Democrats on Tuesday signaled they have the resolve to remain in session throughout the night to force Bunning to abandon his cause. The American people “want an end to these games. And I hope that today we’ll see the end. If we don’t, we’re going to have to have a long, long night ahead of us to make the point that it’s wrong for one Senator to stop our people, our American people, from getting the help they deserve,” Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday

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http://www.rollcall.com/news/43730-1.html?type=printer_friendly

[Captain Hilts]

1. YES!!!!

[jefferson_dem]

2. Now why the heck would anyone unrec this?

:shrug:

Show yourself! :hi:

[Cha]

4. Yeah, show yourselves with your reasons, please.

[Cha]

3. The buns are already unrec this.

[jefferson_dem]

7. "The buns"

:rofl:

[Cha]

12. I said

"buns"..:rofl: :D

[northofdenali]

5. And Dems can handle an all-nighter -

as lefties, we just party hardier and are more used to it........ :P

[tekisui]

8. Roll out the cots, and the mobile bars!

[northofdenali]

13. Don't forget the doobies................

Oh. wait............ :rofl:

[tekisui]

6. knr!~

[Lifelong Protester]

9. Call his bluff. if you want to stay all night, then fine.

Game on.

[BootinUp]

10. I would rather be reading about it actually happening... nt

[DebbieCDC]

11. make that f**k Bunning stand up there until he keels over

Just like Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

[onenote]

19. he will have to stay there all night but he won't have to stand or speak

this isn't a traditional filibuster. this is simply staying in session and making repeated unanimous consent requests. Bunning can sit, nap whatever. He just has to be there and someone has to wake him up to say "I object". It will be interesting to see if he can be broken.

[annabanana]

20. I've heard that sleep deprivation is NOT torture....

I say we try it out on Bunning

[Enrique]

14. is Kentucky playing tonight? n/t

[my2sense]

15. Good - Was wondering why they didn't

do this at the onset of this nonsense.

[sellitman]

16. Maybe Bunning will doze off and the work can commense.

What a piece of crap!

[NJmaverick]

17. k&R

[Kdillard]

18. Yes please do it. Enough of the nonsense.