CALL YOUR SENATORS -- TELL THEM GOP WON THE ELECTION -- GOP COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN NEEDED ASAP

Roll Call and C-SPAN Hearings from the Senate ^ | 14 January 2003 | Various

[PhiKapMom]

CALL YOUR SENATORS -- TELL THEM GOP WON THE ELECTION -- GOP COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN NEEDED ASAP

For those of you that may not know, the DemocRATs in control of the Senate Minority led by ms. clinton (don't be fooled by anyone -- she is calling the shots) have decided not to recognize the results of the last election and are maintaining Committee Chairmanship until the Republicans give them what they want.

The Memo below from Roll Call in October laid out their plans. What the DemocRATs did not expect was a Republican controlled Senate so now they are refusing to vote on a continuing resolution to keep the Government running and thus hand over control of the Senate Committees. It is to try and force Republicans to cave into their demands or Republicans will get no Committee Chairmanships. What they want is equal funding for Committees and 50/50 shared committees which is not an option.

There is a thread running about the Senate actions today at:

EVERYONE SHOULD BE WATCHING C-SPAN2

Right now we have 11 newly elected Senators that do not have Committee assignments because of this DemocRAT Obstructionist tactic.

Call your DemocRAT Senators (you have my sympathy) and let them know as a taxpayer you will not tolerate this stunt of theirs to withhold Committee Chairmanships from Republicans. Remind them that there are 11 new Senators without Committees and you are holding them responsible for this attempt on the part of the DemocRATs to hijack the Senate!

If you have Republican Senators, call them and tell them to keep up the fight and that we are behind them 100%!

Please call your Senators now. If you would like their phone numbers, you can find them at:

http://www.senate.gov/

Thanks!

[PhiKapMom]

October 31, 2002

Senate Faces Power Battle

'Knock-Down' Fight Likely on Organization

By Paul Kane

Regardless of how Election Day pans out, Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle are already digging in for an intense battle over how to organize the chamber next year. "It'll be a serious fight. It'll be a series of knock-down, drag-out talks that last a long, long time,"said one senior GOP leadership aide.

After starting the 107th Congress deadlocked at 50 seats apiece, a tie that was broken by a party switch midway through 2001, both sides are looking to establish themselves as the clear and completely legitimate majority party in the chamber.

That means that, internally, more than just majority status, chairmanships and job titles are at stake in Tuesday's elections.

So too are top patronage jobs given to the Majority Leader and the shape and size of staffs on the chamber's 20 committees.

Neither side particularly liked the resolutions that were struck, after two intense negotiations, over how to organize the Senate and its committees in the 107th Congress, establishing new rules and giving equal space and funding to the minority and majority parties. And both sides are looking to gain an edge in the coming talks over the new organizing resolution.

If they can pick up additional seats in the elections, Democrats expect to dispatch with their previous diplomacy when Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) gave them the majority in June 2001. A senior Democratic aide said that was an "extraordinary circumstance" that forced them to continue under an even funding deal for committees.

"If we pick up a seat or two, Ithink it's without a doubt we'd go back to two-thirds/one-third," the aide said, using the in-house phrase to describe normal funding levels that gave the majority up to 67 percent of committee money.

After the historic 2000 elections left the chamber tied at 50-50, the Senate's top leaders, Republican Trent Lott (Miss.) and Democrat Thomas Daschle (S.D.), negotiated an unprecedented organizing deal, Senate Resolution 8, commonly referred to S. Res. 8.

It established an equal number of Democrats and Republicans on each committee, dictated each side get equal space and funding, and allowed for Lott or Daschle to pull a deadlocked bill or nomination out of the committee and onto the floor.

Under normal circumstances, much of the funding split between majority and minority depends on separate negotiations between the chairman and ranking member, as demonstrated earlier this year by the Judiciary Committee. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the panel's ranking member, announced plans to keep in place the 50-50 funding and space deals, other than some administrative costs that are accrued to the majority, regardless of how the elections turned out. No other committee has publicly announced such a deal.

After six years in the majority, Republican chairmen and other senior GOP Senators were furious with Lott, believing he had given away too much power to Democrats, who were still considered the minority by virtue of Vice President Cheney's tie-breaking vote.

The immediate impact of the deal was to leave GOP staffing levels the same and provide a boost to Democrats - to the tune of about $12 million worth of new salaries.

Republicans believed the historic structure was a failure, something they will vehemently oppose if the GOP is to gain one seat and re-establish a 50-50 Senate (counting Jeffords as a Democrat). "I hope we get a better deal than S. Res. 8," said one senior GOP committee staffer.

"There's a broad sentiment that S. Res. 8 was fairly unworkable," added a GOP leadership aide, who called the 50-50 deal "awkward at best."

Despite their conservative leanings on handling the national purse strings, Republicans are not concerned about the costs of the internal deal, meaning another 50-50 Senate wouldn't lead to the GOPpushing for a new funding formula that would slash Democratic committee jobs. Rather, Republicans appear most concerned about S. Res. 8's applications to how the chamber functioned.

It was never entirely clear how that deal was going to apply to conference committees between the House and Senate, whether the Senate would send an evenly divided number of Republicans and Democrats to each conference. Republicans considered that a recipe for complete gridlock, with the Senate side of the conference always stuck at a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans.

So their negotiating position for the 108th Congress, if there is once again a 50-50 Senate, is almost certain to begin with a demand for a GOPmajority on conference committees. Republicans are also likely to hold out for a different format for handling legislation in committees, either giving them a one-seat edge or just giving the GOPchairman authority to break any ties.

GOP Conference politics would also play a key role in the negotiations. Lott's lowest moments of power came after the S. Res. 8 deal and after Jeffords left the GOP fold. Throughout the past year, however, Lott has taken an increasingly combative approach to his dealings with Daschle and has been winning the respect of his colleagues in the process. He has beaten back a perceived challenge for the leader's post from outgoing Republican Whip Don Nickles (Okla.).

And Republicans also plan to seek a new deal on how to handle judicial nominations in the next Senate, with President Bush's proposal on Wednesday of a 180-day timeline from nomination to a full Senate vote serving as the blueprint.

One near-immediate impact of a GOP majority in the Senate would be turnover among the top patronage jobs, with Secretary of the Senate Jeri Thomson, Sergeant-at-Arms Alfonso Lenhardt and Parliamentarian Alan Frumin all likely looking for work as Lott searched for their successors.

If they do lose a seat, Democrats plan to fight for the full re-implementation of S. Res. 8, considering it a landmark deal for power-sharing in an evenly divided chamber.

Feeling confident with how the elections are shaping up, several senior Democratic aides began talking up the possibility last week of gaining seats and therefore garnering a much larger chunk of committee funding and space.

"That's the way it should be," one senior aide.

But Republicans are ready for that fight, saying they had been increasingly gracious to Democrats in the minority and that many committees didn't operate under the two-thirds funding rule for the majority.

"There is absolutely no way we will countenance or stand for that,"a GOP leadership aide said of Democratic hopes for a large shift in committee funds.

[PhiKapMom]

Please keep this in Breaking News for the time being so we can get everyone on board to take action to call their Senators.

Thanks much

[PhiKapMom]

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW!

Reminder to use your cell phone if you have the necessary minutes.

Thanks!

[Howlin]

A THINGS TO DO BUMP!

FIND YOUR SENATOR AND CALL HIM/HER/IT RIGHT NOW

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks! I figured we should bump this to the top!

[KC Burke]

I just spoke personally with Kit Bond's Kansas City staff. Told them that if they cave on the two-third rule now, they will be playing the whole game with their hands tied behind their back and that the time to Fight is NOW.

[Wphile]

I called mine already. I'll call again in the morning if this nonsense is still going on. I must say, though, that I don't think they were too impressed with my call. They were nice but I got the "we'll pass that along to the Senator" response.

Sure wish I had some one other than Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to call. Sigh.

[Steven W.]

remember - don't count your Hatches before they chicken - Orrin already just gave away the store to Leahy to fund the obstruction & Borking of judges.

[Howlin]

I believe you are absolutely correct.

I believe the expression we're looking for here is "Nip it in the bud!"

I can't wait to see how this "plays" on the nightly news.

[kattracks]

BTTT

[Howlin]

Perhaps Orrin should rethink his agreement.

[PhiKapMom]

Good idea! The time to stop this is NOW!!!!

[PhiKapMom]

Yikes -- two worthless Senators if you ask me!

[swheats]

Thanks to both of you.

[PhiKapMom]

Someone said he is on one of the shows trashing the DemocRATs -- maybe he "has" changed his mind after this!

[Wphile]

Yikes -- two worthless Senators if you ask me!

Yep. It's a cryin' shame.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Sure wish I had some one other than Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to call

Well, I have to deal with Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold -- equally as bad.

[Utah Girl]

I could smack Orrin Hatch for making nice with Leahy. Stupid, stupid, stupid arrangement before the elections. I've called both of my senators and made my views clear. According to their office staff, both Hatch and Bennett are working hard to get the resolution through, and won't stop until it does. They had better not cave on this one...

[Utah Girl]

Orrin is a gentleman and keeps his word. I cannot believe how stupid and naive he can be. Leahy would stick it to him in a minute, and Hatch is still making deals with him.

[ken5050]

Your stae ranks behind NY, NJ, Cal, WV, and MD is the list of states with pairs of despicable senators....Cantwell was a bit of a capatalist, and Murray is just
plain stupid.....

[Samurai_Jack]

GOOD IDEA... I CALLED AND REGISTERED MY DISGUST

[Wphile]

Cantwell made her money because she was sleeping with the guy that created RealNetworks. She is a loser, through and through, and doesn't have a clue. Murray is...well, I don't think there are words available to describe her stupidity. Actually HER words do a pretty fine job of that.

Cantwell did vote for the Iraq resolution but other than that...she just does what the leadership tells her to do.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Reminder to use your cell phone if you have the necessary minutes.

Why???

[Lady Eileen]

..........call has been made.........thanks for the post.

[WVNan]

Hopeless Byrd bump.

[Howlin]

I know he is a fine man. I just wonder WHY he made this separate agreement. He tied Frist hands with the other committees by going outside the "group." Of course, he very well could have made this agreement when Lott was still ML and he just did it in hopes that was ALL Lott would give them.......LOL.

[GreenCell]

I've called both my Republican Senators and chewed out the poor individual who answered the phone on the ineptness of the Republicans to fight for their just won rewards. I also told them that the time for the kid gloves treatment of the Democrats is long-gone...just fight like a democrat...

[mathluv]

Brit Hume is going to talk about this on his show - on now.

[ken5050]

Whatever happened with Maria and the money she borrowed against her stock.....before it tanked.....has she paid it all back?..

[Timesink]

TOLL-FREE NUMBER TO CONGRESS: 877-762-8762

[OReilly]

Sure wish I had some one other than Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to call. Sigh.

That's as bad as my situation...
I've got Sarbanes and some other Rat that looks like a fire-plug... when you meet her in person.

[Howlin]

Oh, great!

[Inspectorette]

Go Brit!!!

[surrey]

Hey, I'm insulted you left out me and the other poor souls here in Massachusetts! To be honest I think NY may have the worst duo but that's a tough call. I don't even think I would trade FAT TEDDY for the Hildebeast. At least we know Ted's in the home stretch.

[ken5050]

You're right, of course....Mass merits a nomination.....objectively speaking....it's gotta go to MD....

[OldBlondBabe]

"Sure wish I had some one other than Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to call
Well, I have to deal with Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold -- equally as bad. "

Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow here. Useless. I e-mailed them both and asked for their support for Bush's tax cuts....Stabenow answered me --- the form letter of course, but at least she responded. Never heard jack-sh*t from "hard working, roll-up-the-sleeves" Carl.

[Wphile]

Whatever happened with Maria and the money she borrowed against her stock.....before it tanked.....has she paid it all back?..

I don't know. I know she was raising money in Hillary Clinton's mansion in DC. This, from the woman who wouldn't take any PAC money or some such nonsense. I'll have to check this out and find out what happened.

[TLBSHOW]

You think you have it bad? Look what I got!

Clinton, Hillary - (D - NY) Class I
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
E-mail: clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html

Schumer, Charles - (D - NY) Class III
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
E-mail: schumer.senate.gov/webform.html


Hillary's office hung up on me earlier!

[ken5050]

Thanks...please ping me.....BTW..did you see a final dem committee list..is Maria on Judiciary?....I heard she was gonna bow out gracefully to let Edwards stay on?

[Molly Pitcher]

Will do. Thanks for the link.

[deport]

It's time to call the action to the floor and let the public know what is going on.

Frist to appoint GOP chairmen, flap settled or not
By Amy Fagan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

     Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said last night that if the parties did not resolve a dispute over how to split committee funding by early today, he would attempt to appoint Republican committee chairmen and members without resolving the funding issue.
     "If an agreement isn't reached shortly I will be moving forward with the committee resolution," said Mr. Frist, Tennessee Republican.
     Until an organizing resolution is passed, the committee setup remains as it was in the 107th Congress — with Democrats holding the committee gavels and new senators without committee assignments.
     Mr. Frist said negotiations over funding would continue through last night and he would assess the situation this morning.
     If there has not been "sufficient progress" by then, he said last night that he will bring to the floor today an organizing resolution that would set committee membership and Republican committee chairmen, giving the Republicans their one-vote majority on committees.
     Democrats would likely object strongly to this, since they want a nearly equal split in committee funding and want this stipulated in any organizing resolution.
     They say a nearly equal split is fair, since that was the setup when they controlled the Senate last session. That setup carried over from the beginning of last session, when the Senate was split 50-50, with Republicans in control.
     "What we had agreed to with a 51-49 breakdown in the 107th Congress is what we ought to agree to with a 51-49 breakdown in the 108th Congress," said Minority Leader Tom Daschle, South Dakota Democrat. "Let's do in this Congress what we did in the last one."
     Republicans say the last session was a unique situation because the Senate changed to Democratic control halfway through the year, and it was impractical to negotiate a new funding arrangement. They note that historically, majority party chairmen could take as much as two-thirds of the funding for committees, and the minority party got one-third.
     Sen. George Allen, Virginia Republican, complained that Republicans control the Senate again, but Mr. Daschle is "once again finding some procedural way of blocking Senate action," adding that it is part of a "continuing pattern of behavior."
     An early confirmation hearing for Tom Ridge as head of the new Homeland Security Department has fallen victim to the organizing fight.
     Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman — the Connecticut Democrat who was chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee in the 107th Congress — called a hearing for this week and planned to preside over it.
     But he said the White House balked at a hearing with a Democratic chairman. A Ridge hearing set for today was canceled and a new one has been set for Friday, though it is not clear who will be chairman.
     Mr. Lieberman has offered to turn the gavel over to the panel's incoming Republican chairman, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, if the Senate organizing dispute is not resolved.
     Democrats said committee hearings can proceed without an organizing resolution.
     "We don't need a new organizing resolution to do the work of the Senate," Mr. Daschle said.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/822219/posts

[Wphile]

I'm not sure on that either. I'll check that out too. I know Howlin said that Edwards would be off the committee but I had read that he wanted to use it as his platform for his presidential run. Maria was worthless on the committee. She couldn't even do anything without first looking at Leahy. Wouldn't surprise me if she bowed out.

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[not-alone]

thanks for posting this thread. I was so mad at Nelson this morning, when he was talking on the Senate floor.. I have contacted his office twice today and emailed Graham.Reid was calling Daschle Majority leader on the floor today. I asked them if they knew who won the election?

[mathluv]

Frist, Allen, and Santoram (sp?) were shown with their comments, also Dasshole - he says they won't cave. Carl Cameron says Frist hopes it will be resolved by the holiday - dims like their holidays.

[Fraulein]

My condolences!

My senators: Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander

[Wphile]

Reid said "the election in November doesn't matter."

Just heard Carl Cameron say that Frist is threatening to keep them in session next week - when they were supposed to be off - in order to get this done. They were supposed to be OFF next week? Sheesh...they just got back one week ago! Unbelieveable.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for taking action. We need to keep blanketing the United States Senators with our outrage as taxpayers! They are not doing their job!

[farmfriend]

I watched this on C-Spam, what the demos are asking for is the same deal they gave to Republicans according to the demos I heard speak. They seemed to think the Republicans were asking for the 2/3 - 1/3 split of prior years. Something the Demos would have done had they picked up seats. The Republicans were upset that they were holding up the chairmanships until an agreement was reached. Something that was not done in the past. Hand the gavels over and negotiate. That is the way it should work.

[Wphile]

I didn't catch the whole thing. Did Carl Cameron mention anything about the Dems intention to go back to the 2/3, 1/3 ratio had they taken back the Senate?

I swear, we freepers need a TV show so we can tell everybody what is really happening!