Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell forced Democrats into a corner on several key votes over the last couple of days. He divided and conquered them on a host of issues, making them run for cover time and time again. McConnell is still the undisputed champ of Capitol Hill legerdemain and the most powerful Republican in the country.
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FNC: “Senate Republicans forced Democrats to take tough votes on issues ranging from critical race theory to abortion to fracking during a 14-hour ‘vote-a-rama’ Tuesday and Wednesday as they put up resistance to the budget resolution that opens the door for Democrats to pass a $3.5 trillion spending plan.
The vote-a-rama – in which senators can bring nonbinding amendments up for votes until they get tired of doing so – is a necessary procedural step in budget reconciliation. Democrats are using that process to sidestep the legislative filibuster in the Senate, therefore allowing them to pass a wish list of programs without input from Republicans. But GOP senators extracted their pound of flesh during the vote-a-rama, getting Democrats on the record on dozens of issues that could serve as messaging points during the 2022 midterms. They even forced Democrats to split on several issues, therefore successfully passing some of their amendments.”
One of the Republican victories was over federal CRT funding. It was an amendment from Tom Cotton of Arkansas. “Today some want to replace our founding principles with critical race theory, want to teach our children America is not a good nation but a racist nation,” Cotton said on the Senate floor. “Those teachings are wrong, and our tax dollars should not support them.” Cotton won.
Another was over a national fracking ban. Republicans oppose it. They won. “A fracking ban would weaken national security, increase global emissions, and take more money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans,” Kevin Cramer of North Dakota tweeted. “By enacting one, Democrats would be putting their reckless agenda ahead of the needs of their constituents. Glad my amendment passed.”
A fracking ban would weaken national security, increase global emissions, and take more money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans.
By enacting one, Democrats would be putting their reckless agenda ahead of the needs of their constituents. Glad my amendment passed. pic.twitter.com/gKYIoOFZU3 [2]
— Sen. Kevin Cramer (@SenKevinCramer) August 10, 2021 [3]
Forty Democrats voted in favor of an amendment from Dan Sullivan of Alaska. It supported building energy tech with parts that are made in America, not China. It passed. More GOP victories were forthcoming.
But Democrats rallied, with a little GOP help, to support killing unborn handicapped children. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma supported a ban on abortions of children with Down syndrome. Democrat Manchin of West Virginia voted with Republicans in supporting the amendment, while Republican Collins of Maine opposed it. It failed.
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“Senate Democrats just voted to allow the most lethal kind of discrimination imaginable: being singled out and brutally killed because of a Down syndrome diagnosis,” Steve Daines of Montana tweeted. “Every life is precious, no matter how small, no matter how many chromosomes they may have.” Aside from that defeat and a couple of other minor setbacks, it was generally a banner day for Mitch McConnell and Republicans in the Senate.