Chuck Schumer thought he had a full proof plan to stop Donald Trump.
The Democrats would commit to unprecedented obstruction and grind the Senate to a halt.
But he ended up making a massive miscalculation.
The GOP plans to pass the bill through reconciliation, so they only require 51 votes to move the legislation.
This would neuter the Democrats.
So in protest, they’re preparing to throw a childish temper tantrum by engaging in parliamentary tactics to delay Senate business..
CNN reports:
Senate Democrats are weighing whether to bring the chamber’s business to a halt next week in an effort to voice their objections to the GOP health care push, according to sources familiar with the effort.
The Democratic leadership and rank-and-file members are planning to prevent the chamber from conducting routine business, including allowing committees to meet for extended hearings when the Senate is in session. And they will demand an open process to consider health care when the Senate reconvenes Monday.
Democrats might use parliamentary maneuvers to prevent committees from meeting for longer than two hours.
If carried through, the hardball tactics would make it difficult for Republicans to schedule votes even on uncontroversial bills and nominees, further slowing down the already slow-moving body.
But Schumer hit a roadblock he did not anticipate – his fellow Democrats.
They aren’t all down with the scheme to obstruct Senate business.
Politico reports:
“Even as Senate Democrats began a Monday night talk-a-thon designed to spotlight the GOP’s still-secret Obamacare repeal plan, some of their own questioned the party’s other potential procedural tactic to block committees from meeting this week.
The skepticism within the caucus underscores the risk facing Senate Democrats as they launch an all-out battle against a Republican health care bill they have had zero power to influence. Democrats want to use every procedural tool at their disposal to slow the GOP’s progress, but one of their more arcane options — the power to block committee meetings two hours after the Senate goes into session — risks inviting Republicans to paint them as heedlessly obstructionist.
“I do think we need to do something to try to get some input on this crazy damn health bill that they’re doing,”
Another miscalculation is just par for the course for Schumer and the Democrats.
The party blundered its way through the 2016 campaign following Hillary Clinton’s losing lead.
And they have cast in all their chips on the fake news Russia story in attempt to stop Trump.
But it appears Schumer is playing yet another losing hand by obstructing the Senate.
What are your thoughts?
Let us know in the comment section.
