Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has had enough of repugican
obstruction. He’s not even going nuclear—oh, no. Reid is threatening to
kill Xtmas for Senators if they won’t do their job.
On the Senate floor, Reid took repugicans to task for dragging
their feet on Obama’s nominees. If they want to drag things out until Xmas Eve, that’s fine with Harry, but he’s going to keep the Senate
open until the repugicans do their job.
Reid countered the repugican narrative that the posts are
“non-essential” (a silly and inaccurate argument) per his prepared
remarks, “None of these posts are “non-essential.” On the contrary,
these are absolutely essential nominees. It is their job to carry out
justice, to protect our country and to safeguard our economy. It is the
Senate’s job to confirm them. How long it will take the Senate to
complete that job is up to my repugican friends.”
Reid took the repugicans’ obstruction head on, “I read that the repugican leadership may also force the Senate to work through the
weekend and into next week by dragging out the consideration of several
important executive nominations. The Senate could wrap up work on the
budget bill, pass the Defense Authorization legislation and confirm
these nominees by Thursday afternoon. The only thing keeping us here is
more repugican obstruction.”
Non-essential? Not so much. Reid, in his usual understated way, said
he was “troubled” to hear the repugican leader say that the nominations
are “non-essential.” He drove home the point, “Does the repugican leader consider the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security –
the individual tasked with protecting us from terrorist attacks –
“non-essential?” Does the repugican leader consider the Secretary of
the Air Force or the diplomats who run the State Department
“non-essential?” Does the repugican leader consider the judges that try
criminal and civil cases in overcrowded courtrooms across the nation
“non-essential?”"
Reid listed other repugican “non-essentials” like the chairman of
the Federal Reserve, “who sets this nation’s monetary policy” and the
director for the Internal Revenue Service and the deputy secretary of
the Department of Homeland Security. Then there’s a district court seat
that “has been declared a judicial emergency. His nomination has been
pending for almost two years.” Oh, gee, nothing to see here. Must get
home for Xmas after dragging feet Boehner style.
The repugicans are threatening to boycott their own jobs if they have to work over Xmas, according to Politico. So, would that be like a labor strike? Just asking.
Working over Xmas is for You People. Not for them. They have no
problem leaving these “non-essential” positions vacant, just like they
left airport security vacant for years, no doubt hoping for an incident
they could pin on Obama. Do we really need a deputy secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security? If not, repugicans would do well to
remember this come appropriations time.
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