The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear OptionLearn Politics on mps-politics.com. The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear Option article will help answer your questions on Politics.We at mps-politics.com specialize in Politics. Politics at mps-politics.com provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
The partisan feuding in the U.S. Senate over federal judicial nominees is leading to a battle on the Senate floor that will have long term effects on the makeup of the federal courts and on the future of the filibuster as a tool in the Senate. The battle has been brewing for quite some time. The Hulk Plan Two years ago Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, upset over the blockage of another of President Bush’s judicial nominees, Miguel Estrada, held an impromptu meeting with a small group of Republican Senators. He described a plan whereby the filibuster against federal judicial nominees could be blocked with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture under Senate Rule 22. The bold and unprecedented plan was dubbed, “the Hulk plan,” a reference to the tie that Senator Stevens was wearing which depicted the green comic hero, The Hulk. The Hulk plan was discussed among Republicans and guarded from Democrats as it was not immediately determined whether the Hulk plan was workable or desirable. The core of the plan was to introduce a Point of Order after a filibuster had begun, asking that debate be limited and that a vote be taken. After the presiding officer sustains the Point of Order, an appeal would be entered, and a motion would be made to table the appeal. This would be a procedural issue which could not be filibustered and which would require only a simple majority for approval. The approval would specify a limited time frame for debate and bring the issue to a vote. The Nuclear Option Within a few weeks of the development of the Hulk plan, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi coined the term, “nuclear option” to describe the rule change process. The Senators realized that the plan would be like a nuclear explosion, resulting in increased alienation of the Democratic and Republican parties and numerous unpredictable consequences. The Republican leadership realized that they might not be able to produce the 51 votes needed to make the "nuclear option" work, so they set the plan aside until after the 2004 national elections. The elections produced an increased Republican majority in the Senate of 55 Senators. When a straw poll among Senators convinced the Republicans that they could count on at least 51 votes, the Hulk plan was revived. No Turning Back President Bush will re-nominate several judicial nominees who were blocked in the last session of Congress. If the Hulk plan, or “nuclear option,” is triggered and successfully upheld, there will be no turning back for the Republicans. When Justice Abe Fortas was nominated by President Johnson in 1968 to replace Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Republicans successfully filibustered the nomination, causing President Johnson to withdraw the nomination. If the “nuclear option” is successfully used to prevent the Democratic Senators from using the filibuster to block federal judicial nominations, then the Republicans will also find themselves without the filibuster tool in the future when they are the minority party. Commodity Option Secrets. - Learn to trade options like a pro, using Delta Neutral, Calendar Spreads, Option Scale Trading and other Option Secrets. Turn $200 Into $4,630 In 30 Days! - Earn money by providing stock research and trading options from your home Pc. Step by Step course from a Professional Trader. In July, 1947 a UFO crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, and the government tried to cover it up by saying that it was not a flying saucer but an experimental high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging ... [Author: Connie H. Deutsch - Politics and Government - February 04, 2011] Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
More Articles:1. All Extremists Go To Heaven... Don't They By Julie Pierce Heaven, Hell, or some sort of Purgatory.I cannot seem to make it to either of the extreme political sides and being a moderate definitely leaves me at least in purgatory if not a perpetual limbo.It is all of the words and actions that really get to me. Just when I think I have found it, someone does something to make me wonder again. They push the button and the followers follow, I am with them. They push another button and the followers are outraged, again, I find myself with them. They push … 2. President Bush rewards terrorism! America can ill afford to reward terrorists, yet The Blade reports our bankrupt country has budgeted $200,000,000 'economic and infrastructure assistance to the Palestian Authority.' This same issue of The Blade reports growing concerns that democracy among the 'Palestinians' could backfire upon us with their rejection of one terrorist group, Fatah, co-founded by terrorist Mahmoud Abbas and terrorist Yasser Arafat, for the terrorist group America is still honest enough to call a terrorist organi… 3. International Terrorists Have US Partners; The Federal Trade Commission By Lance Winslow The Federal Trade Commission in their latest move to increase (MUD) Much Unnecessary Disclosure on the Franchisors of this Nation is helping the International Terrorists with in depth information. By requiring extra disclosure the FTC is making what would normally be private business information into public knowledge and part of the franchising rules required disclosure. Including addresses and names of all outlets and owners. The FTC will not even look into this complaint and continues to thi… 4. NAZI Youth and the Catholic Pope By Lance Winslow Many non-Catholics and most Jews are somewhat skeptical of Catholic Pope Ratzinger’s history as a NAZI Youth. Yet most Catholics are okay with it stating that all young men living in NAZI Germany at the time were compelled to join. In other words it was more similar to the draft and he had absolutely no choice in the matter.Many Catholics will tell you that he was only in the NAZI Youth for 13-years and that was so long ago. Indeed it was and the critics need to recognize this. Yet others say … |
||||
