White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the Senate should scrap a procedural rule requiring 60-votes to proceed on legislation.
Mulvaney told Tapper that the current rules encourage partisan brinksmanship, which would be quickly alleviated if the Senate could adopt a budget by a simple majority vote.
“We’ve been critical of the 60 vote rule since the president took office,” Mulvaney said. “And I think what the president did this morning is try to shed some light on the fact that if ordinary rules prevailed and the majority ruled in the Senate the government would be open.”
President Donald Trump prompted the exchange when he urged Senate Republicans to abolish the 60-vote cloture rule in a Sunday morning tweet.
Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018
WATCH:
Senate Democrats abolished the 60-vote cloture rule for judicial and executive branch nominees in 2013. Republicans followed suit in 2017, removing the 60-vote requirement for Supreme Court nominations to proceed.
Whatever the president’s wishes, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not support such a rule change.
“The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation,” a McConnell spokesman said in a statement.
Via DailyCaller
