Cornyn Warns Dems Against Using Budget Reconciliation to Pass COVID Relief Package
As Congressional Democrats are considering using a parliamentary procedure to pass another massive round of COVID-19 relief with a simple majority in the Senate, some Republicans are urging their colleagues to…
As Congressional Democrats are considering using a parliamentary procedure to pass another massive round of COVID-19 relief with a simple majority in the Senate, some Republicans are urging their colleagues to reconsider taking that road.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) took to the Senate floor to allege that Congressional Democrats were trying to use budget reconciliation — which allows the Senate to pass certain bills with just 51-votes — as a “back door method to eliminate the filibuster.”
President Joe Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that would send Americans $1,400 direct payments and provide funding for vaccine distribution. However, the bill also has measures that Republicans have balked at, such as a provision to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Cornyn went on to suggest that Democrats should have “learned a lesson” about changing rules to pass legislation or approve nominees with a simple majority as he cited their decision to eliminate the judicial filibuster — which Republicans used to push through hundreds of federal judicial nominees and three Supreme Court justices with simple majority votes.
“There are inherent and perhaps unintentional consequences of changing the rules of a place where your power is never permanently guaranteed,” Cornyn said.
“Chipping away at the rights of the minority may help you now. But you’re sure to regret that someday. Just as Democrats now regret the day Harry Reid cleared an easy path for hundreds of conservative federal judges.”