Murkowski Statement on U.S. Senate “Power Grab”
Senator - We’ve Seen Where Party Line Votes Get Us: the Health Care Law
WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Lisa Murkowski today shared her disappointment with the United States Senate’s vote to eliminate filibuster rights for certain nominations – and according to Reuters news service, “Ditch a Historic Senate Rule” – taking away the Senate Minority’s capacity to influence or impact the nomination process, saying:
“Today, Senate Democrats decided they want more party line votes to push their agenda forward without needing to engage a single Republican. It’s a power grab, plain and simple. We’ve seen this movie before; it’s called the health care law, and I am astonished that only three Democrats refused to make this drastic political move to change the process.
“Yesterday I stood with Senate colleagues from the most conservative side of my party to the left end of the other and we advocated together for changes in the military justice system; ours was a coalition built upon negotiation and solid thinking. We were working to build policy in a collaborative and cooperative way. The action on the floor today was a stunning contrast to that collaborative effort.
“Today’s vote saddens me more than it angers me. This is a sad day for the institution of the U.S. Senate, the legislative body designed to guard the views and the voices of the minority and to be – in the words of George Washington – the ‘saucer used to cool the tea.’ Senate Democrats have shattered that saucer into pieces. I’m afraid today’s rules change will fundamentally alter our operations and lead us to being a less tempered body.”
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