McConnell, Reid Reach Senate Rules Deal
Huffington Post reports:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have reached agreement on a set of relatively small changes to the upper chamber's rules, including an informal pact to reduce the number of filibusters in exchange for allowing more amendments from the minority party.
Three aspects of the deal would be considered as standing orders and would thus require only 60 votes for passage, rather than the 67 generally needed for Senate rules changes. A Democratic Senate aide said that as part of the deal, both parties whipped members to make sure they had enough votes. The final agreement includes the final provisions, according to a document obtained by The Huffington Post:
· Eliminating secret holds, including the right of senators to pass their secret holds to another anonymous senator to keep a rolling secret hold.
· Eliminating senators' rights to force the reading of an amendment that has already been submitted for 72 hours and is publicly available.
· Legislation to exempt about 1/3 of all nominations from the Senate confirmation process, reducing the number of executive nominations subject to Senate delays, which will be scheduled at a future date under the terms of an agreement reached by Sens. Mitch McConnell and Lamar Alexander, Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman and HSGA ranking member Sen. Susan Collins, along with Sens. Reid and Chuck Schumer.
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