Macaca
07-22 05:33 PM
For Real Drama, Senate Should Engage In a True Filibuster (http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_8/ornstein/19415-1.html) By Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at American Enterprise Institute, July 18, 2007
For many Senators, this week will take them back to their college years - they'll pull an all-nighter, but this time with no final exam to follow.
To dramatize Republican obstructionism, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to hold a mini-version of a real, old-time filibuster. In the old days, i.e., the 1950s, a real filibuster meant the Senate would drop everything, bring the place to a screeching halt, haul cots into the corridors and go around the clock with debate until one side would crack - either the intense minority or the frustrated majority. The former would be under pressure from a public that took notice of the obstructionism thanks to the drama of the repeated round-the-clock sessions.
It is a reflection of our times that the most the Senate can stand of such drama is 24 hours, maybe stretched to 48. But it also is a reflection of the dynamic of the Senate this year that Reid feels compelled to try this kind of extraordinary tactic.
This is a very different year, one on a record-shattering pace for cloture votes, one where the threat of filibuster has become routinized in a way we have not seen before. As Congressional Quarterly pointed out last week, we already have had 40 cloture votes in six-plus months; the record for a whole two-year Congress is 61.
For Reid, the past six months have been especially frustrating because the minority Republicans have adopted a tactic of refusing to negotiate time agreements on a wide range of legislation, something normally done in the Senate via unanimous consent, with the two parties setting a structure for debate and amendments. Of course, many of the breakdowns have been on votes related to the Iraq War, the subject of the all-night debate and the overwhelming focus of the 110th Congress. On Iraq, the Republican leaders long ago decided to try to block the Democrats at every turn to negate any edge the majority might have to seize the agenda, force the issue and put President Bush on the defensive.
But the obstructionist tactics have gone well beyond Iraq, to include things such as the 9/11 commission recommendations and the increase in the minimum wage, intelligence authorization, prescription drugs and many other issues.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his deputy, Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), have instead decided to create a very different standard in the Senate than we have seen before, with 60 votes now the norm for nearly all issues, instead of the exception. In our highly polarized environment, where finding the center is a desirable outcome, that is not necessarily a bad thing. But a closer examination of the way this process has worked so far suggests that more often than not, the goal of the Republican leaders is to kill legislation or delay it interminably, not find a middle and bipartisan ground.
If Bush were any stronger, and were genuinely determined to burnish his legacy by enacting legislation in areas such as health, education and the environment, we might see a different dynamic and different outcomes. But the president's embarrassing failure on immigration reform - securing only 12 of 49 Senators from his party for his top domestic priority - has pretty much put the kibosh on a presidentially led bipartisan approach to policy action.
Republican leaders have responded to any criticism of their tactics by accusing Reid and his deputy, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), of trying to squelch debate and kill off their amendments by filing premature cloture motions, designed to pre-empt the process and foreclose many amendments. There is some truth to this; early on, especially, Reid wanted to get the Senate jump-started and pushed sometimes prematurely to resolve issues.
But the fact is that on many of the issues mentioned above, Reid has been quite willing to allow Republican amendments and quite willing to negotiate a deal with McConnell to move business along. That has not been enough. As Roll Call noted last week, on both the intelligence bill and the Medicare prescription drug measure, Republicans were fundamentally opposed to the underlying bills and wanted simply to kill them.
The problem actually goes beyond the sustained effort to raise the bar routinely to 60 votes. The fact is that obstructionist tactics have been applied successfully to many bills that have far more than 60 Senators supporting them. The most visible issue in this category has been the lobbying and ethics reform bill that passed the Senate early in the year by overwhelming margins.
Every time Reid has moved to appoint conferees to get to the final stages on the issue, a Republican Senator has objected. After months of dispute over who was really behind the blockage, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina emerged as the bte noire. But Republican leaders have been more than willing to carry DeMint's water to keep that bill from coming up.
The problem Reid faces on this issue is that to supersede the unanimous consent denial, he would have to go through three separate cloture fights, each one allowing substantial sustained debate, including 30 hours worth after cloture is invoked. In the meantime, a badly needed reform is blocked, and the minority can blame the majority for failing to fulfill its promise to reform the culture of corruption. It may work politically, but the institution and the country both suffer along the way.
Is this obstructionism? Yes, indeed - according to none other than Lott. The Minority Whip told Roll Call, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. For [former Senate Minority Leader Tom] Daschle, it failed. For Reid it succeeded, and so far it's working for us." Lott's point was that a minority party can push as far as it wants until the public blames them for the problem, and so far that has not happened.
The war is a different issue from any other. McConnell's offer to Reid to set the bar at 60 for all amendments related to Iraq, thereby avoiding many of the time-consuming procedural hurdles, is actually a fair one - nothing is going to be done, realistically, to change policy on the war without a bipartisan, 60-vote-plus coalition. But other issues should not be routinely subject to a supermajority hurdle.
What can Reid do? An all-nighter might help a little. But the then-majority Republicans tried the faux-filibuster approach a couple of years ago when they wanted to stop minority Democrats from blocking Bush's judicial nominees, and it went nowhere. The real answer here is probably one Senate Democrats don't want to face: longer hours, fewer recesses and a couple of real filibusters - days and nights and maybe weeks of nonstop, round-the-clock debate, bringing back the cots and bringing the rest of the agenda to a halt to show the implications of the new tactics.
At the moment, I don't see enough battle-hardened veterans in the Senate willing to take on that pain.
For many Senators, this week will take them back to their college years - they'll pull an all-nighter, but this time with no final exam to follow.
To dramatize Republican obstructionism, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to hold a mini-version of a real, old-time filibuster. In the old days, i.e., the 1950s, a real filibuster meant the Senate would drop everything, bring the place to a screeching halt, haul cots into the corridors and go around the clock with debate until one side would crack - either the intense minority or the frustrated majority. The former would be under pressure from a public that took notice of the obstructionism thanks to the drama of the repeated round-the-clock sessions.
It is a reflection of our times that the most the Senate can stand of such drama is 24 hours, maybe stretched to 48. But it also is a reflection of the dynamic of the Senate this year that Reid feels compelled to try this kind of extraordinary tactic.
This is a very different year, one on a record-shattering pace for cloture votes, one where the threat of filibuster has become routinized in a way we have not seen before. As Congressional Quarterly pointed out last week, we already have had 40 cloture votes in six-plus months; the record for a whole two-year Congress is 61.
For Reid, the past six months have been especially frustrating because the minority Republicans have adopted a tactic of refusing to negotiate time agreements on a wide range of legislation, something normally done in the Senate via unanimous consent, with the two parties setting a structure for debate and amendments. Of course, many of the breakdowns have been on votes related to the Iraq War, the subject of the all-night debate and the overwhelming focus of the 110th Congress. On Iraq, the Republican leaders long ago decided to try to block the Democrats at every turn to negate any edge the majority might have to seize the agenda, force the issue and put President Bush on the defensive.
But the obstructionist tactics have gone well beyond Iraq, to include things such as the 9/11 commission recommendations and the increase in the minimum wage, intelligence authorization, prescription drugs and many other issues.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his deputy, Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), have instead decided to create a very different standard in the Senate than we have seen before, with 60 votes now the norm for nearly all issues, instead of the exception. In our highly polarized environment, where finding the center is a desirable outcome, that is not necessarily a bad thing. But a closer examination of the way this process has worked so far suggests that more often than not, the goal of the Republican leaders is to kill legislation or delay it interminably, not find a middle and bipartisan ground.
If Bush were any stronger, and were genuinely determined to burnish his legacy by enacting legislation in areas such as health, education and the environment, we might see a different dynamic and different outcomes. But the president's embarrassing failure on immigration reform - securing only 12 of 49 Senators from his party for his top domestic priority - has pretty much put the kibosh on a presidentially led bipartisan approach to policy action.
Republican leaders have responded to any criticism of their tactics by accusing Reid and his deputy, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), of trying to squelch debate and kill off their amendments by filing premature cloture motions, designed to pre-empt the process and foreclose many amendments. There is some truth to this; early on, especially, Reid wanted to get the Senate jump-started and pushed sometimes prematurely to resolve issues.
But the fact is that on many of the issues mentioned above, Reid has been quite willing to allow Republican amendments and quite willing to negotiate a deal with McConnell to move business along. That has not been enough. As Roll Call noted last week, on both the intelligence bill and the Medicare prescription drug measure, Republicans were fundamentally opposed to the underlying bills and wanted simply to kill them.
The problem actually goes beyond the sustained effort to raise the bar routinely to 60 votes. The fact is that obstructionist tactics have been applied successfully to many bills that have far more than 60 Senators supporting them. The most visible issue in this category has been the lobbying and ethics reform bill that passed the Senate early in the year by overwhelming margins.
Every time Reid has moved to appoint conferees to get to the final stages on the issue, a Republican Senator has objected. After months of dispute over who was really behind the blockage, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina emerged as the bte noire. But Republican leaders have been more than willing to carry DeMint's water to keep that bill from coming up.
The problem Reid faces on this issue is that to supersede the unanimous consent denial, he would have to go through three separate cloture fights, each one allowing substantial sustained debate, including 30 hours worth after cloture is invoked. In the meantime, a badly needed reform is blocked, and the minority can blame the majority for failing to fulfill its promise to reform the culture of corruption. It may work politically, but the institution and the country both suffer along the way.
Is this obstructionism? Yes, indeed - according to none other than Lott. The Minority Whip told Roll Call, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. For [former Senate Minority Leader Tom] Daschle, it failed. For Reid it succeeded, and so far it's working for us." Lott's point was that a minority party can push as far as it wants until the public blames them for the problem, and so far that has not happened.
The war is a different issue from any other. McConnell's offer to Reid to set the bar at 60 for all amendments related to Iraq, thereby avoiding many of the time-consuming procedural hurdles, is actually a fair one - nothing is going to be done, realistically, to change policy on the war without a bipartisan, 60-vote-plus coalition. But other issues should not be routinely subject to a supermajority hurdle.
What can Reid do? An all-nighter might help a little. But the then-majority Republicans tried the faux-filibuster approach a couple of years ago when they wanted to stop minority Democrats from blocking Bush's judicial nominees, and it went nowhere. The real answer here is probably one Senate Democrats don't want to face: longer hours, fewer recesses and a couple of real filibusters - days and nights and maybe weeks of nonstop, round-the-clock debate, bringing back the cots and bringing the rest of the agenda to a halt to show the implications of the new tactics.
At the moment, I don't see enough battle-hardened veterans in the Senate willing to take on that pain.
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vandanaverdia
09-26 01:45 AM
It will be great to have everyone from WA & OR call in so that we can discuss & kickstart the fall campaign.
rayoflight
08-03 02:43 PM
USCIS released their survey report on their website today.
USCIS - Policy Review Survey Report (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=dd7c4c94d71d9210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCR D&vgnextchannel=dd7c4c94d71d9210VgnVCM100000082ca60a RCRD)
The PDF can be accessed via
http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Outreach/Feedback%20Opportunities/Policy_Survey_Report_2010.pdf
USCIS - Policy Review Survey Report (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=dd7c4c94d71d9210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCR D&vgnextchannel=dd7c4c94d71d9210VgnVCM100000082ca60a RCRD)
The PDF can be accessed via
http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Outreach/Feedback%20Opportunities/Policy_Survey_Report_2010.pdf
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Steve Mitchell
January 20th, 2005, 09:18 PM
The first samples (that I have seen) of the forthcoming Nikon D2X have been posted on Nikon's site. The samples are small..but here's a glimpse. Click here (http://www.nikonpro.com/d2x_revolution.php). (Click on the thumbnail for a larger image)
more...
feedfront
08-26 01:04 PM
Just call them and get infopass to verify that corrections have been made..
smssharma25
12-06 09:06 PM
Hi,
I am trying to change my job from PM to technical lead. My labor was filed for computer systems manager. Will technical lead come under the same category & occupation as computer systems manager?. New employer agreed to give me similar job duties in EVL & I am getting 40% hike. Is it wise to use AC-21 here?.
sharma
I am trying to change my job from PM to technical lead. My labor was filed for computer systems manager. Will technical lead come under the same category & occupation as computer systems manager?. New employer agreed to give me similar job duties in EVL & I am getting 40% hike. Is it wise to use AC-21 here?.
sharma
more...
Vibes30
06-12 08:56 AM
.........This is not a warez board.......
.........Do not ask for or request software of any kind that may be construed as pirating.......
.........You have been warned.........
.........It is only a matter of time before upuat8 is all over this post........
.........Thank you for your immediate attention.......
.........Do not ask for or request software of any kind that may be construed as pirating.......
.........You have been warned.........
.........It is only a matter of time before upuat8 is all over this post........
.........Thank you for your immediate attention.......
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Blog Feeds
07-28 06:10 PM
From DHS Deputy Press Secretary Matt Chandler: �The court�s decision to enjoin most of SB1070 correctly affirms the federal government�s responsibilities in enforcing our nation's immigration laws. Over the past eighteen months, this Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to secure the border, and we will continue to work to take decisive action to disrupt criminal organizations and the networks they exploit. DHS will enforce federal immigration laws in Arizona and around the country in smart, effective ways that focus our resources on criminal aliens who pose a public safety threat and employers who knowingly hire illegal labor, as well as...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/07/dhs-weighs-in-on-boltons-decision.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/07/dhs-weighs-in-on-boltons-decision.html)
more...
Ajaykumar
11-12 11:57 PM
Hi All,
Case:EB3
Priority Date: Sep 2004
Status: Labor & I-140 approved
EB2: Labor got approved November 2009.
I'm trying to file 1-140 amendment with EB3 priority date. Currently i'm thinking of going with Sheela Murthy/Rajiv Khanna,
could you please suggest some good attorney who can handle my case very well in a limited time? Thanks a lot and really
appreciate your help.
Regards,
Ajay
Case:EB3
Priority Date: Sep 2004
Status: Labor & I-140 approved
EB2: Labor got approved November 2009.
I'm trying to file 1-140 amendment with EB3 priority date. Currently i'm thinking of going with Sheela Murthy/Rajiv Khanna,
could you please suggest some good attorney who can handle my case very well in a limited time? Thanks a lot and really
appreciate your help.
Regards,
Ajay
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Mike K.T
08-12 04:58 PM
:lol: fun fun
more...
raviram1980
03-13 03:18 AM
Hi there,
Can someone please reply to my question?
Thanks,
Ravi
Can someone please reply to my question?
Thanks,
Ravi
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prakgc
07-24 07:43 PM
Hi,
What is the difference between "reject" and "deny" in USCIS terms? Is it that reject is even before the case is processed and when application is returned back immediately and "deny" is later when the case is looked into and then the aplicant is found ineligible for whatever reasons?
If this is indeed the case how much time does one have after getting an RN to submit additional evidence he/she may have missed initially but before the case is processed?
any ideas from the adjucators manual?
What is the difference between "reject" and "deny" in USCIS terms? Is it that reject is even before the case is processed and when application is returned back immediately and "deny" is later when the case is looked into and then the aplicant is found ineligible for whatever reasons?
If this is indeed the case how much time does one have after getting an RN to submit additional evidence he/she may have missed initially but before the case is processed?
any ideas from the adjucators manual?
more...
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FredG
May 14th, 2004, 05:27 PM
feedback is always welcome, with or without a rating.
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Blog Feeds
06-12 07:00 AM
USCIS used to have a lot of difficulty raising fees and would only get increases approved every few years. They now raise their fees frequently and have just announced their intentions to do so again. In the past, they blamed poor service on the lack of resources and promised - many times - that more money would translate in to better results. I once supported this view. But no longer. USCIS has received massive resource increases over the last several years and expanded the number of examiners greatly. Yet if you talk to seasoned immigration lawyers, there is more of...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/06/uscis-proposing-10-fee-increase.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/06/uscis-proposing-10-fee-increase.html)
more...
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iCu MeHoo
10-12 11:13 PM
=] we all have our own brain farts =]
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sureshuma1970@yahoo.com
06-14 10:06 PM
I am in a similar situation , does anyone know how long does it take to transfer a case from AOS to CP?
more...
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indyanguy
11-07 12:57 PM
I received a FP notice to attend on 11/23/07 (the friday after thanksgiving). The lawyer feels that they may be closed on that day and would like me to reconfirm the appointment.
Anyone else received it for 11/23?
Thanks!
Anyone else received it for 11/23?
Thanks!
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goldgold
09-21 03:18 AM
Hi,
I am working for company A with L1 Visa and this year I got H1 and wanted to continue some more time with L1. I read following information
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10106
I want to apply COS ammendment and LCA, do I need to file through employer or I can file it individually?
It would be great help if you give more info on COS and LCA.
Thanks in advance.
I am working for company A with L1 Visa and this year I got H1 and wanted to continue some more time with L1. I read following information
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10106
I want to apply COS ammendment and LCA, do I need to file through employer or I can file it individually?
It would be great help if you give more info on COS and LCA.
Thanks in advance.
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baburob2
01-13 09:26 AM
Hi
I am trying to analyse the impact based on 245i. Based on it
PIC countries benefited from unused visas a lot till now to have their PD current/move up. So based on that benefit, Also one thing is clear the unused visas if available are country indepedent and are used at the rate of 27% per quarter.
so for example 100K visas are available (which i would enjoy having )27K per quarter is available from the start of the year . Now among this 27K how is the distribution, can it be distributed whichever applicant needs PD IRRESPECTIVE of EB1,EB2,EB3(skilled, professional) Vs EB3 other or does it split by the calculations of EB1, EB2, EB3 with 28% EACH and EB3 other NOT above 10K limit
can someone answer it?
I am trying to analyse the impact based on 245i. Based on it
PIC countries benefited from unused visas a lot till now to have their PD current/move up. So based on that benefit, Also one thing is clear the unused visas if available are country indepedent and are used at the rate of 27% per quarter.
so for example 100K visas are available (which i would enjoy having )27K per quarter is available from the start of the year . Now among this 27K how is the distribution, can it be distributed whichever applicant needs PD IRRESPECTIVE of EB1,EB2,EB3(skilled, professional) Vs EB3 other or does it split by the calculations of EB1, EB2, EB3 with 28% EACH and EB3 other NOT above 10K limit
can someone answer it?
pradeepd
10-18 02:02 PM
Hi,
I'm currently on my amlost 6th year of my H1B. I have my i-140 (Still valid) approved from my previous employer under EB3. I'm applying for a new PERM with my current employer and I would want to apply in EB2. I hold 3ys bachelor's degree with 12 yrs of experience. My attorney says that chances are either my PERM or I-140 will be denied based on my education qualification.
I'm looking for your advice on the following.
1) I heard that I can apply for 3yr extn based on my previous I-140. Considering that is it worth the fight on EB2. I'm looking to port my PD (Nov 2008) to this I140 if approved.
2) My company sponsers two PERM to be applied, so it is worth to try for EB2 and later if denied on EB3. Will this affect my H1B extensions? say if it's get rejected on EB2, am I not eligible to apply for H1B extension with my current employer, since my labor/i-140 is denied.
Please help. I'm just not able to get this over my head :(
Thanks,
Pradeep
I'm currently on my amlost 6th year of my H1B. I have my i-140 (Still valid) approved from my previous employer under EB3. I'm applying for a new PERM with my current employer and I would want to apply in EB2. I hold 3ys bachelor's degree with 12 yrs of experience. My attorney says that chances are either my PERM or I-140 will be denied based on my education qualification.
I'm looking for your advice on the following.
1) I heard that I can apply for 3yr extn based on my previous I-140. Considering that is it worth the fight on EB2. I'm looking to port my PD (Nov 2008) to this I140 if approved.
2) My company sponsers two PERM to be applied, so it is worth to try for EB2 and later if denied on EB3. Will this affect my H1B extensions? say if it's get rejected on EB2, am I not eligible to apply for H1B extension with my current employer, since my labor/i-140 is denied.
Please help. I'm just not able to get this over my head :(
Thanks,
Pradeep
gchopes
04-19 12:28 PM
My lawyer said it was ok and we have applied for h4 extension for spouse. Its under regular processing at VSC so I won't know the outcome for a few months.
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