HR1 going nowhere for now, and all the Republicans in the Senate voted to block it
HR1 has been the central pillar of the Democrats’ legislative plans. It was going to “reform” voting laws on a federal level and supersede many of the voting integrity safeguards that red states and even some purple states have trying to put in place after the debacle that was the 2020 election.
The bill had already passed in the Democrat-controlled House. But it failed to advance in the Senate, not because the Democrats there were against it – they weren’t, at least not publicly – but because two Democrats, Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, refused to nuke the filibuster in order to pass it. And blocking the anti-filibuster effort was only possible because of the razor-thin margin by which the Democrats control the Senate: 50/50 with VP Harris able to break a tie.
HR1 and the filibuster are linked, and not just in the obvious manner, which is that the filibuster would have to have been ended if HR1 was to pass in the current Congress. They are also linked becaue the Democrats realize that nuking the filibuster is dangerous unless they can guarantee that they’ll always be in charge. If Republicans ever managed to take the helm again, the filibuster would be Democrats’ friend. So they must assure that the GOP can never win again.
I think the Republicans – even the RINOs among them – are quite aware of this. You might even say that HR1 is an existential bill for them. I believe that is why all fifty Senate Republicans voted not to advance the bill for debate, which effectively killed it. Republicans in the House had previously voted against it, as well. That represents an unusually united front by the GOP.
I know that many people on the right who are fed up with McConnell and the GOP in general thought there would be some defections, but there were none. McConnell has long been relentless in his criticism of HR1 – see this, for example, with links to what McConnell was saying back in early 2019, when the Democrats of the House were passing an earlier version of the bill.
I’ve also seen some speculation that the Democrats didn’t really want to nuke the filibuster or pass this law, and that all the talk about it and the vote on it is just to placate their base. I strongly disagree. I think that if they could pass it they would dearly love to do so, because they believe (perhaps correctly) that it would set up perpetual victory for them. They are setting their sights on 2022 in hopes that they gain greater control of the Senate and can finally do what they wish. Whether that’s possible is an open question, and much can happen before then. But I’m convinced that is their plan.
This bill was not a reaction to the 2020 election; there was an earlier version of HR1 that had been the first major order of legislative business after the Democrats got control of the House in the 2018 election. It died in the Senate and of course Trump would have vetoed it anyway had it passed both houses of Congress. The 2020 election was actually the Democrats’ fairly successful attempt to implement many aspects of this bill at the state-by-state level through state executive action and lawfare, with COVID as the excuse. COVID was the way the camel got its nose in the tent, as it were.
So this will come up again and again, particular with Biden as president. He’d sign whatever they pass, however they pass it. The fight will go on.
[NOTE: Biden may even try to sneak in some of its provisions through an executive order that may or may not hold up in court. He’s already issued an executive order regarding voting that seems relatively mild, but that avenue remains open.]
For the Dems it’s BAMN – Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper – BAMN.
Latin borrowed from Zaphod on an earlier thread.
They weren’t ‘placating their base’. Rank and file Democratic voters do not want this. The people on the payroll want this so they can steal elections without impediments. Rank-and-file Democrats just pretend it isn’t happening.
You notice not a single Democrat in Congress voted against this travesty. It’s not retaliation from voters they’re heading off, but retaliation from Schumer / Pelosi. All but one House member voted for both shampeachments and all but Manchin voted to reject Brett Kavanaugh after he was subject to criminal mistreatment.
Note, the thieving will still continue in places like Washington State which make promiscuous use of postal ballots. This just prevents them from extending these abuses to the decent states in the country.
They weren’t ‘placating their base’. Rank and file Democratic voters do not want this.
I disagree that “base” equates to “rank and file” voters. Base are those voters who vote a strict party line to push their agenda and gain power. They are not necessarily the majority, and usually aren’t, but those sufficiently activist to make the difference in close elections.
The “rank and file” might well drift off and vote for Reagan or Trump, as we have seen.
Agree it will come back, piecemeal or back handed executive order.
If it passed my belief would be it would be the end and a one party government.
I agree that it is an incumbent protection racket, majority Democrats in particular.
It is Democrats’ attempt to perpetrate a fraud on the American people, for all time.
I happened across Senator Cruz’s speech on Telegram, which I thought was pretty good:
https://youtu.be/bB17_nEykFE
I didn’t know the specifics before on the proposed public financing of elections and the makeup of the FEC. I’m not sure I understand the FEC part, but I presume the proposed makeup of the commission is only because Democrats are currently in control (that it would flip somehow if they were not).
I’m not sure I understand the FEC part, but I presume the proposed makeup is only because Democrats are currently in control (that it would flip somehow if they were not).
Since its foundation, it’s had an even number of members, three from each party. They want five members so they’ll have a majority to ram through measures. In 1974, they were capable of co-operative measures. Now, they just want control to abuse and steal.
@ Art+Deco
I understood that part, which Cruz covered in his speech. The proposal is for 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans — instead of the current 3 each.
My question is what the makeup would be if Republicans were in control of one or more house or the presidency. Would it be 3 of the 5 commissioners, for example, for whichever party controls two out of three? Or, in other words, if you only control one, then just 2 commissioners?
My question is what the makeup would be if Republicans were in control of one or more house or the presidency.
Remember James Carville’s book, Forty More Years? It’s their plan that there never will be a Republican administration ever again. They’re looking toward something along the lines of the Mexican PRI regime (1929-2000). Keep in mind that since 1968 an escalating proportion of partisan Democrats have maintained that it’s illegitimate when Republicans win elections. It began with the “Southern Strategy” rubbish about Richard Nixon’s 1968 campaign.
Art+Deco:
That still didn’t answer my question, what I didn’t understand before about the proposal.
What you say certainly seems to be the plan and is probably implicit in Cruz’s speech.
Neo: persuasive analysis, thanks. Now I can be even more depressed, but with reasons.
The democrat national party has to be seaching high and low for electable “wolves in sheep’s clothing” to get rid of Democrats Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. The democrat leadership has to be furious with them and now determined to replace them.
I agree that HR1 is critical to the democrat’s goal of a One Party State. Currently, once HR1 passed the demise of the filibuster would open the door to that goal.
As for the unity of congressional republicans in voting against HR1, there are some few whose primary concern is for the country.
And while McConnell and most of the rest of the GOPe do indeed see HR1 as an existential threat, it is not per se, out of concern for its threat to the “consent of the governed”. Their concern is much more personal than that. HR1 is a direct threat to not just the GOPe’s political relevance but to their financial future.
As, why would big donors continue to donate to a group of permanently neutered politicians?
@GB:
“And while McConnell and most of the rest of the GOPe do indeed see HR1 as an existential threat, it is not per se, out of concern for its threat to the “consent of the governed”. Their concern is much more personal than that. HR1 is a direct threat to not just the GOPe’s political relevance but to their financial future.
As, why would big donors continue to donate to a group of permanently neutered politicians?”
Precisely.
Below is something I just posted to the post on Trump that Neo posted yesterday (“Pursuing vengeance: on prosecuting Trump”). It is also relevant to this post.
Here is an article on public choice theory at the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (1st edition; a link to a revised article for the 2nd edition is also available at the top), a field in economics that I mentioned in my post above [in the Trump thread]
https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/PublicChoiceTheory.html
There is a lot, lot, lot more at the link, and it is well worth reading, but here is a small quote:
Manchin will likely cave at some point before 2022, or the Democrats will assassinate a Republican Senator that gets replaced with Democrat. It is brass tacks time.
@Yancey Ward:
Something will likely happen. Right Side had best start losing their Pavlovian conditioning and start asking themselves questions like “What would Lenin have done in this situation?”
I’m not just using Lenin as a hypothetical because you’re all even more inoculated against the Other Guy. The OG was far too much of a fuzzy thinker and kept rambling off into the wilds. Lenin, Stalin, Molotov, Kaganovich… Bastard Killers like those guys knew how to cut to the essential chase. That’s what it’s going to take to get a favourable result.
Forget Ideologies. Study Actions.
Show us your actions, Zaphod. IME, those who cry “GOPe” are lazy. I expect that you comfortably fit the profile.
I ask of all who sneer “GOPe” at the doers in the Republican Party, in the past five years (2015-2020) have you ever:
* walked swing precincts located across town for a candidate?
* walked your own neighborhood precinct for your candidate?
* walked your block for your candidate?
* walked up your street and back for your candidate?
* ever obtained a walking list from your local public elections office?
* used a walking list?
* known what a walking list is?
* volunteered to serve as a polling place official on Election Day?
* volunteered to be an observer of ballot counting the evening of Election Day?
* volunteered to be a partisan poll watcher on Election Day?
* been an activist member of a citizens’ election watchdog group?
More recently, have you:
* organized a public Trump Vaccine Victory event in your own town during Memorial Day weekend?
* attended a meeting of your local school board and spoke out against the sham of so-called Critical Race Theory (CRT) in curriculum and teaching?
* attended a meeting of your local school board when textbook adoption was on the agenda?
* attended a meeting of your local school board when the high school’s new football coach was to be chosen? (Just checking if you’re paying attention.)
* invited anyone on your block to attend weekly worship services with you?
Let your own conscience be your judge, Zaphod. Will you man up and lead by example or will you hide behind the internet and continue to complain that someone else isn’t fulfilling your duty of citizen activism for you?
And coming to a Third World City/State/Country near you:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/giuliani-suspended-practicing-law-new-york
Micha Elyi:
Zaphod tells us he lives in Hong Kong so he does not have to do any work in the USA. He also tells us he is not a US citizen so he is doubly removed from having to do any work. But he can tell us what “we” should be doing and how “we” must save western “White” civilization. There is a lot that Zaphod (babelbox, Can Do!, beblebrox) has to say. But a lot of what Zaphod says is twisted around melanin and it’s controlling influence on an individual’s worth and potential, much like the Criminal Racist Theory. Just my observations.
@Micha Elyi:
All very good of you. Your civic participation in a broken system is highly commendable. You do realise that this puts you on their local list, don’t you? You are prepared for that, aren’t you?