Trump Just Revealed on Twitter He Has No Idea How the Senate Works

May 31st, 2017

Awake Goy

Trump Just Revealed on Twitter He Has No Idea How the Senate Works

Susanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | Host of Hardline Radio Show

Donald Trump’s behavior is usually explained away by pointing to the fact that he’s never been in politics before, but does that include ignorance of how the legislative branch of our government works?

In his usual fashion, Trump took to Twitter to remove any doubt about his knowledge of our democratic process with one tweet.

The U.S. Senate should switch to 51 votes, immediately, and get Healthcare and TAX CUTS approved, fast and easy. Dems would do it, no doubt!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017

In less than 140 characters, Trump insisted that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell change the rules of the Senate so that the filibuster is eliminated when debating legislation so that Trumpcare and his tax budget is on the floor, Republicans can vote to pass without needing a single vote from Democrats.

This tactic was used by McConnell recently in order to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch, but will he do it again?

Last April, McConnell told the press that at “the core of the Senate is the legislative filibuster” and even though he changed the rules for Gorsuch, “this that this [changing the filibuster rule to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch] somehow bleeds over into the legislative filibuster is untrue.”

The senator said he is “opposed” to changing the rules because that would “fundamentally change the Senate.”

In addition to irrevocably altering the Senate, Trump’s proposal would affect the differentials between the 2 houses of our legislative branch. In 1917 the filibuster was created so that the minority in the Senate (where the majority rules) had a voice.

The filibuster also forced both parties to work together because there were 65 voted needed to break a filibuster and that meant Democrats and Republicans had to come to a consensus when debating and finalizing legislation.

Currently, the Trump administration is using reconciliation to force Trumpcare and their tax budget through. In this way, those 2 items become a series of rule changes which can be passed with a simple majority vote.

Journalist Louis Nelson explained : “Bills to repeal and replace Obamacare and overhaul the U.S. tax code are both expected to move through Congress via a process called reconciliation that would require just 50 ‘yes’ votes in the Senate.”

This fact confounds many as to why Trump would tweet out a demand to remove filibusters when his administration is already getting their agenda through using a same tactic he is calling for.

Twitter put it this way…

Uh, both of these items are supposed to be under reconciliation and thus only need 51 votes — votes the Republicans don’t have now. https://t.co/fUJaLW588k

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) May 30, 2017

FFS. Both currently would only take 51 votes. It’s still not happening. https://t.co/KOwV4y53fV

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) May 30, 2017

Maybe someone should tell the president that Republicans only need 51 votes for health care and taxes https://t.co/clnJw1Ladi

— Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) May 30, 2017

This shows how Trump simply does not understand governing. Health care and tax cuts were both proceeding on 51-vote threshold. https://t.co/w6ysr6ns3S

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 30, 2017

If Senate GOP had 51 votes for health care and tax cut bills and their only obstacle was Byrd Rule, this would make more sense. They don’t. pic.twitter.com/EdgUeuwZ2R

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 30, 2017