WHEN YOU HAVE A MITCH McCONNELL
AS THE MINORITY LEADER, IT
HARDLY MOVES AT ALL.
>> I JUST WANT TO READ WHAT
SENATOR SCHUMER SAID WHEN RACHEL
ASKED HIM WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
DO IF MITCH McCONNELL DOESN’T
REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THIS?
AND SENATOR SCHUMER SAID, WE’VE
BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS, STAY
TUNED.
AND RACHEL ASKED, DO YOU HAVE
TRICKS UP YOUR SLEEVE?
AND, OF COURSE, HE LAUGHED AND
HE SAID, STAY TUNED.
EZRA, HE JUST KEPT SAYING, "STAY
TUNED" WHICH IN THE CLOSE-UP
VIDEO WAS A VERY DIRECT THREAT
TO MITCH McCONNELL OF THE
SO-CALLED NUCLEAR OPTION WHICH
WOULD HAVE BLOWN UP THE MINORITY
RIGHTS TO FILIBUSTER
OBSTRUCTIONISM COMPLETELY.
>> PERHAPS.
I SEEM TO BE SOMEWHAT UNHAPPY
WITH HOW THIS ALL RESOLVED THAN
ANYBODY ELSE DID.
SENATOR SINEMA AND SENATOR
MANCHIN CAME OUT TODAY.
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD
ABSOLUTELY UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES BE THE VOTE TO
ABOLISH THE FILIBUSTER.
NOW, AS NORM SAYS, THERE ARE
WAYS YOU CAN REFORM IT THAT
MAYBE TECHNICALLY WHAT THEY’RE
SAYING IS THEY’D BE OPEN TO
THOSE.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPIER TO SEE
SINEMA AND MANCHIN COME OUT AND
SAY WITH LEADER SCHUMER THAT IF
MITCH McCONNELL AND THE
REPUBLICANS ARE EVEN GOING TO
BLOCK THE RESOLUTION TO PUT THE
SENATE TOGETHER THIS YEAR, THEN,
OF COURSE, THEY WOULD SUPPORT
THE BUDGET -- I’M SORRY, THE
NUCLEAR OPTION IN ORDER TO GET
RID OF THE FILIBUSTER EVEN IF IT
WAS ON THE ORGANIZING MOTION.
SO I THINK THE REAL QUESTION IS
WHAT IS IN SINEMA AND MAN YNCHIN
HEAD?
GIVE McCONNELL A FIG LEAF TO
BACK DOWN.
OR COMING OUT TO OPPOSE ANY
MOVEMENT TO MAKE THE SENATE WORK
BETTER
BETTER.
WE’RE SEEING McCONNELL FLEXING
MUSCLE TO BLOCK THINGS EVEN IF
FOR A LITTLE BIT THAT SHOULDN’T
BE BLOCKED.
HE’LL SIGNALING HOW
OBSTRUCTIONIST HE WILL BE.
DEMOCRATS INSTEAD OF COMING OUT
AND PUNISHING HIM FOR IT, SAID
IN PRINCIPLE THEY’D LEAVE HIS
DEMAND TO LEAVE THE FILLIBUSTER
UNCHANGED.
IT’S A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR AT
LEAST AT THIS MOMENT.
>> BUT, NORM, THOSE TWO SENATORS
COULD CHANGE THEIR MINDS OVER
TIME.
DEPENDING ON HOW ON STRXBSTRUCTI
MITCH McCONNELL BECOMES.
THIS IS WHAT THE GAME IS NOW.
IT’S HOW OFTEN DOES CHUCK
SCHUMER HAVE TO THREATEN A
NUCLEAR OPTION WHEN HE CAN?
AND EZRA’S RITE, HEGHT, HE HAS T
ABLE TO ACTUALLY THREATEN IT.
IT SOUNDED LIKE HE DID HAVE 50
SENATORS READY TO GO TO AT LEAST
BREAK THROUGH THIS FILIBUSTER OF
THE ORGANIZING RESOLUTION AND
ONCE THAT WALL IS CRACKED, THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRETTY BIG
CRACK IN THAT WALL.
>> I DO THINK THAT IF THIS HAD
GONE ON FOR ANOTHER FEW DAYS
WHAT MANCHIN SAID WAS I WANT
THEM TO GET TOGETHER, WHEN IT
BECAME CLEAR THAT McCONNELL
WASN’T GOING TO GET TOGETHER
WITH SCHUMER.
HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO
THAT FOR THAT ONE ORGANIZING
RESOLUTION.
WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU, LAWRENCE,
IS I WORKED ON THIS ISSUE AS YOU
KNOW WITH SENATORS FOR A VERY
LONG TIME.
AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET --
IT’S NOT JUST MANCHIN AND
SINEMA.
IT’S ALSO DIANNE FEINSTEIN, FOR
EXAMPLE.
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THEM TO
GO FOR THE FULL NUCLEAR OPTION
OF GETTING RID OF THE FILIBUSTER
FOR LEGISLATION ENTIRELY.
BUT ONE SMALL THING THAT YOU
COULD DO THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE
DIFFERENCE IS SIMPLY CHANGING
THE STANDARD FROM 60 SENATORS
NEEDED TO STOP DEBATE TO EITHER
40 SENATORS NEEDED TO CONTINUE
IT OR MY PREFERENCE, 45, OR EVEN
JUST MAKE IT A PRESENT AND
VOTING STANDARD.
IF YOU NEED THREE-FIFTHS OF THE
SENATE PRESENT AND VOTING,
REPUBLICANS HAVE TO STICK AROUND
ALL THE TIME.
THEY HAVE TO BE THERE FOR
ROUND-THE-CLOCK SESSION.
RIGHT NOW THE BURDEN IS ENTIRELY
ON THE MAJORITY.
IF YOU MOVE IT TO THE MINORITY,
THEN A CLEVER SCHUMER COULD
BRING UP THINGS LIKE A SIMPLE
BACKGROUND CHECK.
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK ON
GUNS.
THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT
FORCED THEM TO GO ROUND THE
CLOCK EXPLAINING WHY THEY’RE FOR
VOTER SUPPRESSION OR AGAINST
SOMETHING THAT 90% OF AMERICANS
WANT SO THERE ARE TOOLS THERE
THAT I THINK CAN CONVINCE THE
RECALCITRANTS TO GO ALONG.