1/7/2023 0 Comments Dc gridlock![]() ![]() “The Senate has used a variety of tools over the years to get the attention of the executive branch,” Richard Baker, the former Senate historian, said at the time. Bush, who was eager for the promotions to go through. The hold became a major controversy after it was disclosed by The Washington Post. Craig subsequently backed down under pressure from President George W. Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho, secretly put a hold on more than 200 Air Force promotions in June 2003, to pressure the Air Force to make good on what he contended was a commitment to station four new C-130 cargo planes with his home state’s Air National Guard. For many decades, senators could secretly place holds on nominations, thwarting the president’s will without having to publicly own up to it.įormer Sen. Interestingly enough, the practice of putting holds on legislation and nominations is not mentioned in the Senate rules, but it evolved over time as a cherished custom. Related: Republicans Threaten to Use Yellen as Political Football The value of a hold continues, but it has been diminished.” “Its viability depends on the ability to back it up with an actual filibuster. “A hold is an implicit filibuster,” explained the aide. Everything that is done pretty much has to be done by unanimous consent, and if you don’t do it by unanimous consent, it’s still a relatively unwieldy process.”Ī senior Democratic majority adviser agreed that while the vote late last week to curb the filibuster powers of the minority party may have weakened the efficacy of holds, the little known but frequently exercised privilege is still intact. “What they did not do was fundamentally change the Senate. “Holds are still there,” said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. ![]() A majority leader may be reluctant to make an enemy of any senator seeking to put off a confirmation vote – especially if that member could galvanize other members of his party to help obstruct Senate business. Because practically every bit of Senate business requires the unanimous consent of the members. In light of last week’s vote, Harry Reid and future majority leaders may be less inclined to grant hold requests, knowing they could almost always muster a simple majority to overcome any nomination stalling tactics. Two months later, she lifted that hold but only after extracting the concessions she wanted. Landrieu put a “hold” on Senate action on Lew’s nomination – a relatively obscure but potent form of filibuster – to block the nomination. In the fall of 2010, Landrieu announced she intended to block the confirmation of Jack Lew, President Obama’s choice at the time for new budget director, until the administration lifted a moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. They’re still able to postpone a judicial or executive branch nomination for any reason by using a “hold” – something Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) exploited three years ago. Related: GOP Plots Its Next Move against the Nuclear Optionīut a mysterious and hard-to-quantify power still remains an option for individual senators of any party. “It’s time to get the Senate working again,” said Reid. ![]() The historic move will allow federal judicial nominees and executive-office appointments to advance to confirmation votes by a simple majority of senators, instead of the 60-vote supermajority that’s been standard for nearly four decades. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Democratic colleagues last Thursday voted to change Senate rules to eliminate filibusters for most nominations by presidents. ![]() Filibuster rules in the Senate may have changed – but the “hold” remains. ![]()
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