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‘If the President’s proposal was made in good faith, Democrats should be eager to vote for it. So I’m surprised the Majority Leader just declined the chance for them to support it with their votes. I guess we’re left to conclude that it couldn’t even pass by a bare majority of votes, and that they’d rather take the country off the cliff than actually work out a good-faith agreement that reflects tough choices on both sides.’

‘So, Mr. President, it’s not just the right to amend that has taken a hit under the Democratic Majority, but the right to debate as well. And all Senators, and all Americans, are disserved when these rights are systemically marginalized. This is not the Golden Rule we were promised, Mr. President, when the Senate Democrats assumed the majority in 2007. Far from it. Rather than continuing to diminish the great traditions of the Senate, rather than breaking the rules to change the rules, we need to strengthen those rights and traditions. Because, as Senator Byrd noted, majorities are fleeting. One can wake up after the first Tuesday in November and find oneself in the minority.’

‘According to the Congressional Research Service, this year the Majority in the House has given the Minority in the House 214 occasions to effect legislation on the House floor through amendments and motions to commit or recommit. By contrast, the Majority in the Senate has only allowed the Minority in the Senate 67 occasions to effect legislation on the Senate floor in the same way. So the Minority in the House has had more than three times the opportunity to express its views and to represent its constituents than has the Minority in the Senate.’

Recent Press Releases

McConnell Offers Dems the Chance to Vote on President’s $1.6 Trillion Tax Hike Plan

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Even Before Rules Change, Dems Have Stymied Senate Debate Rights

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Unlike Senate, House Majority is Allowing the Minority to Represent its Constituents

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