McConnell downplays Republicans’ use of the nuclear option
Radical. That is how Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., describes the 2013 decision by his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to scrap the filibuster for all presidential nominations other than those for… Read More
Neither Republicans nor Democrats respect Senate rules
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, has a word of warning for Democrats: Don’t scrap the filibuster. In a recent op-ed, the Senate majority leader writes that his Democratic colleagues… Read More
ICYMI: Former Senate majority leader advocates abolishing the flibuster
Official portrait, United States Congress, via Wikipedia. In the New York Times, former majority leader Harry Reid (D, NV) wrote: “The Senate is now a place where the most pressing… Read More
Mitch McConnell looks like a hypocrite on Supreme Court nominees, but he didn’t have to
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky rekindled the acrimonious debate over control of the Supreme Court when he acknowledged the Senate would consider a presidential nominee to… Read More
Is Majority Leader McConnell blocking elections security legislation?
Democrats want the Senate to debate legislation that they say is needed to secure American elections against outside interference. But they say Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is standing… Read More
Pelosi’s ruled out of order, Democratic chaos, and a historic moment
Source: Kevin Lamarque, Reuters The other week, the House passed a resolution denouncing President Trump’s racist tweets. But what stole some headlines were the events surrounding Speaker… Read More
The Senate is gridlocked but not for the reason you might think
The Senate is gridlocked. But not in the way we think. Gridlock arises whenever senators choose not to act- to debate legislation in committee and on the floor, offer amendments,… Read More
Why is the Senate gridlocked?
The Senate is gridlocked. Political scientists do not fully understand why. More than twenty years ago, Keith Krehbiel observed that “no existing theory or school of thought provides a… Read More
The evolving role of the Senate parliamentarian
The Senate’s parliamentarian is an influential figure in present-day Washington. In 2016, former Speaker, Paul Ryan, R-Wis., reportedly recommended to Republicans that they closely follow the position’s current… Read More
The House is more courteous than you might imagine
Debate on the House floor heated up Tuesday over Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments regarding recent controversial tweets by President Donald Trump. During consideration of a Democratic resolution to… Read More