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Senate Democrats debating all night in hopes of stopping Betsy DeVos

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ultratruman

Banned
90
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Senate Democrats will take to the floor throughout the day and night Monday to voice their opposition to Betsy DeVos for Education secretary — a Hail Mary effort to convince one more Republican to join them so they can thwart her confirmation.

The 24-hour marathon of speeches is expected to conclude at noon on Tuesday, when the Senate is expected to vote on DeVos' confirmation. That vote is likely to be a 50-50 tie, with Vice President Mike Pence then taking a rare tiebreaker vote to ensure that DeVos is confirmed. If that happens, it would be the first time a vice president has needed to cast the tie-breaking vote for a Cabinet secretary.

Democrats' all-night debate is not a filibuster, which is a tactic that seeks to delay or block a vote. Instead, it is an attempt to call more public attention to the vote, and increase public pressure on GOP senators who have already received tens of thousands of calls and emails from people who oppose DeVos.

Democrats have been unified in opposing DeVos’ confirmation, and Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkoswki of Alaska have said they will also vote "no."

With the vote so close, DeVos' opponents in recent days have held rallies in the home states of lawmakers they are targeting, which include Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) , Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), according to published reports.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/betsy-devos-democrats-confirmation-234691

LIVE VIDEO:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?423606-1/us-senate-debates-betsy-devos-nomination
 
M

Metaroo

Member
If this actually works, it would be the first political victory for the Democrats since Obama was elected.

Edit: Hyperbole! Stopping DeVos would be an amazing win for them.
 
I

Iksenpets

Banned
My guess is this won't move any GOP Senators, but it'll make great as reel for the next few years when the campaign against every senator will be that they were such a craven lickspittle for Trump that they still voted for this lady over all these objections.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
I'm really hoping more Republicans will defect when its time to vote. Maybe they just don't want to say anything now to cause a scene?

Maybe I'm giving Republicans too much credit. lol
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
Pagusas said:
Likely just a public show being put on by those 2 given the sure vote thanks to the tie-breaker.
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Yup it's a lot harder to cross the line when you are the actual tiebreaker

They are all afraid of Trumpian retribution. Republicans get punished in elections for voting against party all the time
 
S

Slacker

Member
It'll be depressing when the Dem's find the rare principled Republican and get them to switch, only to have one of the original two they had switch back to the other side.

Just kidding of course, that would never happen (the principled Republican part).
 
Emerson

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
I very much doubt anyone else will defect. But this is something the Democrats can hang their hat on, that they fought through the night to oppose this moron being confirmed, and all but 2 Republicans fell in line despite massive bipartisan public outcry. This move is much more likely to hurt the GOP than help them in any way.

By the way, I suspect McConnell and other GOP leadership knows this, and would probably personally prefer to sacrifice this nomination, but Trump wouldn't hear of it.
 
W

watershed

Banned
Although the dems will ultimately lose, it is amazing how incompetent the Trump admin is that they will have to rely on an unprecedented vice presidential, president of the senate vote just to confirm a cabinet secretary. They are really bad people and they really suck at their jobs. Too bad dems are so powerless right now.
 
O

OriginofHysteria

Banned
If DeVos had any sort of integrity, she should just withdraw her nomination before the vote.

watershed said:
Although the dems will ultimately lose, it is amazing how incompetent the Trump admin is that they will have to rely on an unprecedented vice presidential, president of the senate vote just to confirm a cabinet secretary. They are really bad people and they really suck at their jobs. Too bad dems are so powerless right now.
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Yeah, and it's the education secretary of all positions lol.
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
If Collins gave a shit, she would have blocked her in committee where she actually could have been the deciding vote.
 
Emerson

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
LosDaddie said:
Because Devos is what the base wants.
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I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, sorry if so, because literally nobody actually wants DeVos for any reason other than Trump says so. The only people supporting her are people who stand to directly financially gain and those who are completely fucking blind to anything other than their devotion to their Bloated-Piece-of-Shit-Emperor-in-Chief Donald Trump. Well, plus 50 Senators too cowardly to take a stand for what their constituents want for fear of being Tweeted at angrily.

Regardless of your opinion on them, there are Republicans who have expressed actual opinions about why they think Sessions, Tillerson, etc. are good picks. Those opinions may be shit, but they can at least say something.

DeVos? Fuck all. Just, "presidents get to pick their cabinet." No educators support this woman, regardless of party. I know a lot of teachers, and they have all told me the same thing. Every teacher they know is disgusted by what they've heard from DeVos, Trump and Hillary voters alike.
 
W

watershed

Banned
OriginofHysteria said:
If DeVos had any sort of integrity, she should just withdraw her nomination before the vote.



Yeah, and it's the education secretary of all positions lol.
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DeVos knows she's awful. She knows she's not qualified for the post and she knows her horrible track record in Michigan. But she has bought and paid for this job so she's gonna get it. She has no integrity.
 
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Ithil

Member
The issue is that even if a Republican senator genuinely feels like she's not qualified for the job and would like to vote no on her, they know that all eyes will be on them if they cast the deciding vote and they'll get crucified by the GOP and right wing voters, and Trump himself will direct his tweeting rage at them.
 
Emerson

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
SolarPowered said:
I legit expect them to back out at the last minute. Can they do that? I'm totally expecting them to do that.
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They won't. These are two senators whose constituencies are most outraged against DeVos and would be most negatively affected by the policies she wants to enact. For that reason they were authorized to vote no, and they'll do so. I guarantee you there are others who want to do the same, but are being held in check by party leadership.
 
J

jmdajr

Member
Ithil said:
The issue is that even if a Republican senator genuinely feels like she's not qualified for the job and would like to vote no on her, they know that all eyes will be on them if they cast the deciding vote and they'll get crucified by the GOP and right wing voters, and Trump himself will direct his tweeting rage at them.
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The fear of being not being re-elected is ridiculous. Well goes to show no one is really looking out for the people.
 
P

Pandora012

Member
Ithil said:
The issue is that even if a Republican senator genuinely feels like she's not qualified for the job and would like to vote no on her, they know that all eyes will be on them if they cast the deciding vote and they'll get crucified by the GOP and right wing voters, and Trump himself will direct his tweeting rage at them.
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The funny thing is it's not only Dem voters that are opposed to her. Many moderate republicans don't like her. Unfortunately, that far right side are willing to ignore how unqualified she is.
 
U

ultratruman

Banned
Ithil said:
The issue is that even if a Republican senator genuinely feels like she's not qualified for the job and would like to vote no on her, they know that all eyes will be on them if they cast the deciding vote and they'll get crucified by the GOP and right wing voters, and Trump himself will direct his tweeting rage at them.
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True, and I'm not sure how much Elizabeth Warren and other Dem senators are helping right now by saying 'we just need one more Republican with a spine' etc. The last thing GOP senators want is to be seen as caving to the Democrats.
 
B

Bonen no Max'd

Banned
If there's no other flipped Republicans, I'm going to assume Collins and Murkowski were told they could vote no to maintain their bipartisan moderate branding while making sure DeVos still gets through. Collins isn't up until 2020 and Murkowski isn't up until 2022, but both their states have weird independent streaks so it's important that they don't get tarnished as normal partisan Republicans.

If DeVos actually is blocked, then maybe they have some sort of semblance of principles, but like, who is left that might vote no? Flake and Heller are the only vulnerable seats in 2018 but they're both voting yes. The other fake moderates (Portman, McCain, etc) are all voting yes. Unless some nobody from Kansas comes out against it, she's going to get through.
 
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