Now that S.1 has been placed on the Senate’s calendar, it is only a matter of time before it comes up for a full vote by the Senate. It will only take a majority of votes to pass! I don’t think we can count on either Manchin or Sinema to vote “no” with all 50 Republicans!
Back in June 2021, US Senate Republicans filibustered Senate (S) Bill 1, For the People Act; the sweeping piece of legislation that called for the federalization of all elections. I thought this filibuster had destroyed all chances of the bill being passed by the Senate.
Well, I was wrong! So very wrong!
Through a procedural maneuver, identified under Senate Resolution (S.Res.) 27, on August 11, 2021, the bill was “discharged” from the Committee on Rules and Administration by virtue of the 50-50 tie leading to the bill being filibustered. S.1 has now been placed on the Senate’s calendar for a vote by the full Senate!
For those of us who do not know what S.Res. 27 is, here is the part or the resolution that matters:
Sec. 3. Pursuant to the provisions and exceptions described in sections 1 and 2, the following additional Standing Orders of the Senate shall be in effect for the 117th Congress:
(1) If a committee has not reported out a measure or matter because of a tie vote, then—
(A) the Chairman of the committee shall transmit a notice of a tie vote to the Secretary of the Senate and such notice shall be printed in the Record; and
(B) after such notice of a tie vote has been transmitted, the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader may, only after consultation with the Chairman and Ranking Member of the committee, make a motion to discharge such measure or matter, and time for debate on such motion shall be limited to 4 hours, to be equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees, with no other motions, points of order, or amendments in order: Provided, That following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on the motion to discharge, without any intervening action, motion, or debate, and if agreed to, the measure or matter be placed immediately on the appropriate Calendar.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, to ensure that any cloture motion shall be offered for the purpose of bringing to a close debate, in no case shall it be in order for any cloture motion to be presented on an amendable item during its first 12 hours of Senate debate: Provided, that all other provisions of rule XXII remain in status quo.
- Res 27 is referred to as the “Senate Powersharing Agreement of the 117th Congress.” (See Congressional Research Service, April 21, 2021.) There have been other powersharing agreements.
As provided by the Congressional Research Service –
In the 117th Congress, Senate membership is evenly divided between the two political parties, with 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats. This is often referred to as a “50-50 Senate.” On February 3, 2021, the Senate approved S.Res. 27, a measure to provide the organizational basis for powersharing in the Senate when the parties are equally divided. Except for minor formatting changes, the resolution is identical to the one agreed to in 2001 when the Senate was most recently equally divided.
This is clearly devastating news!
Now that S.1 has been placed on the Senate’s calendar, it is only a matter of time before it comes up for a full vote by the Senate. It will only take a majority of votes to pass! I don’t think we can count on either Manchin or Sinema to vote “no” with all 50 Republicans!
Skopos Labs gives S.1 a 72% chance of passage! Go here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s1.
I am sorry!
Demetria Carter