UP or DOWN Vote

The Truth in LOVE

Up or Down Vote: by Bruce H, Scroggins

5/9/05

I see Republicans are up to there same old mess, this incessant statement, “they deserve an Up or Down Vote,” is getting tired. Over the years when it came to nominations, for heads of departments, and judges, and the like, there have been several things that happened, lets look at this step, by step. The President makes a nomination, and sends it up to the Hill for Advise, and Consent. The elected Representatives on the Hill take it up in committee, and the nomination either is voted out with confidence, or without confidence, or it can die in committee for several reasons, and if this happens, there is no vote on the floor of the Congress.

Lets say it passes committee and is voted out, with confidence, it arrives on the floor, and is set up for a vote, after further discussion, and filibustering, or no discussion, and no filibustering they can vote for or against this nomination, and if it passes, the Congress confirms the nomination with enough votes to pass, and if not it dies right there, and at the committee level, or on it’s way, or on the floor, either the President or the nominee can withdraw, and if neither of these events happens, then the President gets to appoint this person to the post he nominated him for if he passes.

This process is called Advise, and Consent.

History shows that many of the past Presidents nominations have not made it out, of committee, bottled up by either party, for all kinds of reasons, and never came close the floor of Congress. In the 214 year History this has happened many, many times, and several times, nominations have made it out of committee, with no confidence to the floor, and some have passed, and been appointed, and several have made it to the floor, with no confidence, and die on the floor of Congress. Now several nominations have made it with confidence out of committee, and dies on the floor of Congress, and many have made it through, and have been appointed by past Presidents.

This is just some of the history; it’s not a complete history, but closes enough for my point. When I hear Republicans say he deserves a up or down vote, I cringe, yes they can vote on the floor, but not everyone nominated gets a vote, and the Republicans continuing to say that they all deserve to get this vote, is not true, nor is it historically true that all get this vote.

Many times in committee, they vote, and many times they did not vote, and this has been true for the floor of Congress as well, and then the Republicans say, only these Appellate Court Judges are being held up, yes that’s true, and that is the preview of those who get to Vote, or "choose" not to Vote, of those who can advise, or not advise, to discuss, or not discuss, to filibuster, or not to filibuster.

The Democrats have the view and points, and reasons for doing what they are doing, and the Republicans have their reasons for saying what they say about, what the Democrats are saying, and doing.

The Dems see court packing, and the Supreme Court as the next step. The Republicans refuse to see this, and just continue to demand the vote, even though they need 60 votes to pass, that fine for the Republicans.

So were dead locked, no the Republicans say we will change the filibuster rule so we can use our majority in Congress to pass the opposition by, they also changed the rules of ethics for Congress.

The opposition, and America saw this as down right wrong, and the polls show this to be true. Now this Administration did get 215 judges passed, so 10 particular judges not getting through to me, is not enough reason to gut the filibuster, and it would take some thing a lot more for either party to get me to agree.

Please will somebody start telling, the people who keep saying, “They deserve a up or down vote,” to stop whining.