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By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 | 7:57 p.m.
Harry Reid
Sun coverage
The arcane rules of procedure exercised on the floors of Congress don't get written about very often. But an incident on the Senate floor tonight carried a larger lesson: Push Sen. Harry Reid too far and he will change the rules of the Senate into perpetuity to put you in your place.
From this night on, senators will no longer be able to move to suspend the rules that require all bill amendments to be on-topic, a move the minority party sometimes avails itself of to force votes on topics the majority would rather block.
It's known as the "nuclear option," but just as with real nukes, the bomb is rarely dropped in battle.
Reid did tonight.
It started over a disagreement between Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell over what amendments Republicans would be permitted to present to a bill censuring and punishing the Chinese for manipulating their currency, the yuan — a practice that's tantamount to subsidizing exports, which keeps Chinese goods cheaper than they should be.
McConnell had been rattling Reid, telling the majority leader that he'd never clear the filibuster-busting threshold necessary to advance the legislation. Midday, Reid did with room to spare, pulling enough Republicans on board for a 62-to-38 vote. On to the bill.
That meant it was time for an argument about amendments.
After years as the majority leader, Reid has mastered loading up what's called the "amendment tree" — the roster of amendments to an underlying piece of legislation, which is procedurally limited depending on the type of bill. That Reid boxes out the minority is a constant Republican complaint.
But Thursday afternoon, Reid decided to play ball: he'd take seven of the nine amendments McConnell was pushing hard to include. It didn't take long for Reid and McConnell to come to blows.
McConnell picked seven, but Reid didn't like one: an amendment by Mike Johans, R-Neb., objecting to an Environmental Protection Agency rule that would have declared certain farm dusts toxic. It's also a measure that probably would have secured bipartisan support from senators in rural states.
Reid couldn't get an agreement from his caucus on that, he protested — much to McConnell's anger.
As McConnell ranted about the right of Republicans to pick their own amendments, Reid quietly pulled out a procedural move few others saw coming (even though Reid was planning it since Thursday morning): raising a point of order against using motions to suspend the rules, then objecting to it on McConnell's behalf, and finally, instructing his caucus — all but one of whom did as instructed — to vote against the objection.
The vote was 48 to 51.
Boom. Motions to suspend amendments are dead.
“There has to be some end to the dilatory tactics to stop things,” Reid said of the need for the move. "This has to come to an end. This is not a way to legislate."
It's not clear what this will actually do on a day-to-day basis. While motions to suspend have been overused, Republicans haven't brought one before the Senate this year. And a motion to suspend hasn't actually succeeded since 1941, according to the Office of the Senate Historian.
It's also still possible for the minority to appeal the Senate chair's ruling about whether any individual amendment is germane to the topic of the underlying bill — but to carry such an appeal, you'd need 60 votes, which is hard to get if you're in the minority.
But from now on, the option is dead, until someone figures out a way to revive it. Given the Senate's recent experience trying to rewrite the rules surrounding the filibuster by formal process, it's not likely it will change any time soon.
"This is a bad mistake...We are fundamentally turning the Senate into the House," McConnell said, his anger apparent as he complained about Reid's efforts to limit the application of the filibuster and expedite the Senate process by a simple majority, as he did Thursday night. "America doesn't need less debate, it needs more debate, and when 60 members of the U.S. Senate decide to pass something, it'll pass.
"I hope we'll undo what we did tonight, because it's not in the best interests of this institution or the American people," McConnell continued. "Today's minority may be tomorrow's majority."
But Reid didn't take that threat, either, charging McConnell's problems in the minority were more due to his difficult behavior than the difficulties of his position.
"Let me tell everyone within the sound of my voice: if i were in the minority, I wouldn't do this," he said, referring to use of motions to suspend.
"I think it's dilatory and wrong. I think we have to do a better job of legislating here under the rules," Reid continued. "Am I 100 percent sure that I'm right? No, but I feel pretty comfortable with what we've done."
These are the same rules Harry exploited back in the day.
Be careful what you wish for/legislate Mr. Reid. Payback is an ex-wife.
Its amazing... Than again it's not. In a state with the worst education in the free world, we keep showing that we are idiots by re-electing this crook. Than wonder why we have the worst economy in nation??
Thanks for the explanation of what Senator Reid did, Mark. WOULD you be willing to explain it? Try to do so without confusing Democrats for the Republicans who hate the president more than they love their country.
Right on Harry.
Set those greedy republicans straight.
Keep giving those heartless republicans HELL,
HARRY.
YOU ARE THE MAN.
I have not been in this town all that long, but what I've seen with the children in our schools leads me to believe the education provided here is no better or worse than any other state or city. The product of the schools is directly related to what the teachers have to work with, and that is not a pretty picture. When the HS kids aren't smart enough to walk home on the side walks rather than down the middle of the street and crossing streets against the light with traffic schreeching to a halt. Hispanic parents who speak no english at home and don't care that their children are left that far behind. HS students dropping out at an early age with no job and no parents to encourage them to stay in school. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can send your kids to school....you better help and encourage them to learn, or they'll end up dead in a gang fight on the corner of Carey and Nellis. With the number who don't care, the kids who do are still in mortal danger of the others. Harry Reid is the best politician to come out of Nevada, and makes me proud when he stands up to the blithering idiots on the "do nothing" side of the Senate. The republicans have stated over and over that their only job is to make Obama a one term president and by God that's all they're doing while the nation teeters on the edge of another great depression.
I say "Give 'em Hell Harry"
I see a Silver Lining for the Republicans. If they could pick up a Majority in the Senate they will Finally be able to Eliminate Social Security AND Medicare. Damn Old People Sucking this Country Dry!
Reid must be pretty confident of keeping his spot come 2012. But if the Republicans should take the Senate, he has just cut his nose off to spite his face. Reid will become the must hated man in the Senate by the Democrats if that happens.
What this thief did today is lower than pond scum, which would be a compliment for this moron. I can't wait until this felon is in the minority and every piece of legislation is rammed through with a simple majority when Barry Hussain looses in 2012. Harry, I wish you nothing but pain and grief in your life. But despite that, just because you are a creep, I hope and pray your wife beats cancer.
Even if Demos lose the majority in 2012 there is a session called lame duck
Thank you Reid.
Get ready for the Nuclear Option to be slammed on your head often in near future.
Also, is this a "news article" or a love letter to Reid?
Just asking........
That guy Mitch McConnell is a as dirty and corrupt as they come. Its about time Harry put that jerk in his place.
Newbee................................................. Why don't u say that about your Republicans when Bush was president. Pelosi always said she wanted Bush to be a one term Pres. What comes around goes around. As for Reid being your model what has he done for Nevada these last 6 yrs with Unemployment xcept trying to get the dream act thru and accommodating the the gaming industry? 2012 can't come soon enough when sleaze Harry is the Minority leader. BTW how did Sleaze get to be so rich on a Senators salary?
Newbee........We are only here for 2 years as well but your take on the education system here is dead wrong. We've been to many restaurants where the waitress is a HS grad or worse yet in college that when a mistake is made on a check, they don't know how to do simple arithmetic much less percentages to correct it. It is insane. Our former son in law was a middle school math teacher and the stories he tells of the middle school students is unbelievable.
These 'students' see that their parents are working in casinos and making a decent salary so they have no incentive to get an education. It IS sad.
Thank you Senator Reid for injecting some sanity into an insane process.
chazbean....both parties want the white house back when they lose it, thus saying they want the president to be one term. The differance this time is the republicans aren't governing the country, they are only obstructing the controling partys efforts to bring a recovery to the economy, purposely leaving the unemployeed in the streets for 13 more months for nothing more than political gain. (they think we don't see what they're up to?)
What have they done for you lately? When I watch the new comedy shows called debates and wonder which one of these fools you think is going to defeat Obama? To bad Palin dropped out...that would have been the funniest campaign ever.
More tax breaks won't change anything...the wealthy and US Corporations are already hording trillions of dollars. Paying off the national debt is a good idea, but where do you get the money if not from the rich or the corporations....throw the seniors in the street, let them die without medical services, let the roads and bridges continue to fall apart, keep killing our young in needless wars, deport all the Mexican labor and pay $10/lb for tomatoes or not have any US grown vegtables at all?
botfx....Reid is very confident in keeping his senate seat in 2012....he doesn't come up for election till 2016.....
take a look at the unAmerican 99% marches nation wide.....do you think they agree with you and the tea party? don't look to 2012 as being the change you want
Glad he did. It will make it easier to pass laws to repeal welfare and gun control when we get the Senate back soon.
NewBee,
I wasn't referring to him keeping his seat, I meant he must be confident that he will retain his position as Majority Leader, meaning the Democrats will retain the Senate, which is questionable as it stands now.
I'd be willing to bet that Harry is not running again when his term is up in 2016.
"Even if Demos lose the majority in 2012 there is a session called lame duck"
What's your point? There will be no difference. It's the same Congress and same President and any bill not acceptable to either Republicans or Democrats cannot pass because one side of Congress will block the other - just like it is working out now. Now there are some things the President may do to screw up the lives of ordinary Americans, but nothing the Congress can do because Republicans are there to co-sign all actions, which they will not do.
To Mr. Ben Lambert, screen name "newnvres". I found your comment offensive concerning our senior citizens. You stated, "I see a Silver Lining for the Republicans. If they could pick up a Majority in the Senate they will Finally be able to Eliminate Social Security AND Medicare. Damn Old People Sucking this Country Dry!" There are two classifications of people. The "intellects" and the "dumblects". Although their are many sub-categories linked to these two bases, your statement certainly has you in the dungeon with other full-fledged "dumblects". Social Security and Medicare have been mismanaged. Their so-called secured and untouchable revenues have been raided by our elected politicians. So, you point the finger of fault at our senior citizens and find comfort in stripping them of their benefits. This does not make you a very nice person, or a reasonable and ethical individual. For, it is true that a person who willfully neglects and abuses the elderly is surely most capable of doing the same to our children.
BChap
I don't believe newnvres was serious, I believe he was giving a sarcastic seudo right
wing type of statement. I bet he and I both agree with you. (other than who is a dumblect?) On the other hand,
if he was serious, he needs to experience what he is preaching for.
The Christian right needs to ask "what would Jesus do?"
better yet, in their beliefs, "what WILL Jesus do?". He
well redistribute the wealth...he well take it all and
provide for us all equally...now thats what I call a socialist!
Go get em HARRY!!!
"Go get em HARRY!!!"
I think Harry may have just engaged in the most serious self-pwnage of his lifetime.
Harry just screwed the Dems in the long run......just wait till the loose the Senate. This changed will come back to bite his own party. Harry Reid is an embarrassment to not only the fine people of Nevada, but to all Americans.
BChap: it would be a good idea for you to refresh your knowledge on the subject of sarcasm - how it's used, and how to recognize it.
Nice spin on this story. What the Las Vegas Sun won't tell you is that Reid invoked this procedure in order to prevent a vote on the President's jobs bill. You know, the one that the President is saying that the Republicans are blocking a vote on.