Harry Reid Excoriates GOP For Stalling Nominees On Senate Floor

Roll Call:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) excoriated Republicans on Thursday for stalling more than 200 executive and judicial nominees that in some cases have been lingering on the executive calendar for months.

"Senate Republicans are simply so opposed to everything, absolutely everything, that they even oppose putting people in some of the most important positions in our government," Reid said in a floor statement.

Read the whole story: Roll Call

Comments

[soldiergirl]

You've just got to love the way that the republicans always put the American people first and look out for our best interest. They are totally unselfish and and are dedicated to our welfare and well being. They constantly put country first, ahead of all of their own agendas. Okay, enough of that bs......

[russrpm]

According to Limbaugh, Hannity, and I don't remember how many other followers of "FoxNation", Senators and otherwise, the opposition party in the Senate has a responsibility to allow the President's nominees for these types of positions to move forward in the process. The rallying cry from the right was an 'UP OR DOWN VOTE." , and they stated over and over again that the country was being damaged by the vacancies in these important positions.

Of course, the Republican party has no memory of anything that occurred before President Obama was sworn in, so I suppose we should forgive them this apparent hypocrosy.

[Lulubelle1]

I've long since lost any ability to experience surprise at the pettiness of political infighting.

Holding up these appointments is a childish retaliation for imagined wrongs.

Let the winners of the election get on with running the government, GOP. You'd have been howling to the rafters if others had so transparently attempted to block your entire staff from taking their positions.

The GOP doesn't care if the government goes down in flames, taking the public with it, provided that they get to dance around the pyre.

[kid5rivers2]

The law/policy should be: If you can't/won't/don't make a decision within a 14 days of someone being nominated, then the person is automatically approved for the position.

[roudy]

Well Mr. Reid you are the elected leader of the majority in the Senate. Maybe it is time to quit whining and "giturdone"

[Bush-Rolled]

Next thing you know, Battlin' Harry Reid will be sending the GOP a strongly worded memo!

[moveyourimage]

A collective rising to the level of incompetence.

[expired]

http://www.democratictalkradio.com/wordpress/?p=1073

Help is on the way!

[Philclock]

Does this mean Van Jones won't get to the Federal Judiciary soon?

[MadamRoma]

A bunch of pigs.

[ljc]

What ever happened to recess appointments ?

[LeftisBetter]

They need to have a recess first.... And with all the G NO P whining and stalling on the health care bill, the will be no break...

[miriamfl]

I have come to the conclusion that the repuglican party is a c@ncer in this country. They take the economy in the 1920s destroy it. Democrat comes in does everything in his power to bring the country back. Establish banking laws, start social security to help the american people. In the 1960 with a Democrat in the White House we got Medicare. Then the rethugs get power again and start destroying and eating away at everything that has been stablished as protection. Reagan, Papi Bush, Bush Jr have all eaten away at our protections and laws, deregulation of the banking system. We all know how that turned out. Now they are doing everything in their power for Pres Obama to fail, now they are refusing to allow appointments to go through. They are a c@ncer in every sense of the word.

[BowlingForRevenge]

Give 'em hell Harry!

[ztck5356]

Shouldn't we be able to recall our elected officials who refuse to work with each other to pass bills for Americans? We don't elect them to go to DC to oppose everything that comes across their desk! That's too easy. I could do that job! They should produce something or be recalled! To stall government and fight everything is un-American! It's their way or the highway!!! That is not democracy in action, it's
dictatorship!

[LynnW49]

It's also welfare. If they are not actually doing anything, but drawing paychecks and benefits like the health care they are trying to deny the rest of us, then they are the worst offenders of being on the dole.

The US Constitution doesn't cover recalling Senators, Representatives, or the President or Vice President. No member of Congress has ever been recalled. However, some states allow for "recall" elections: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin. States vary as to whom one can recall (Senators, Governors, etc.) and as to whether a petition alone will do, or misconduct or some other grounds are required. So there are a lot of variables-­-obstacles­--to look at. [Arnold got his job as California governor in 2003 in a special recall election held to replace Gray Davis, but that was a gubernatorial election, not a Congressional one.]

So it seems the best form of recall is to not re-elect.

[ztck5356]

I love the "welfare" description. Come to think of it, you are exactly right. It's welfare.

[expired]

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That's the kind of courageous leadership we need for victory on health care. But the fight's not over yet: Sen. Reid is still under fire from conservatives, including some in his own party, who will stop at nothing to kill the public option.

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