I’m constantly struck by parallels between slaveholders trying to force people in non-slavery states to participate in maintaining slavery (e.g. Fugitive Slave Acts) and this sort of behavior. #Alabama senator #Tuberville is holding up promotions to force the military to stop covering travel for medical care that includes #abortion. Gift access at https://wapo.st/3qlP6Ln#misogyny#ReproductiveRights
@heidilifeldman this analogy makes sense. #HistoryTeachers need to recognize that "states' rights" was a post hoc rationalization, not an original principle.
@heidilifeldman that is the overt reason the Tuber is doing it. The less overt reason is that he wants to hold them until [expletive deleted] is re-elected and can fill those posts with his own guys.
#DarkBrandon should go #ScorchedEarth on American fascists, and close BOTH the #Army ’s Redstone Arsenal AND #NASA ‘s Huntsville Space & Rocket 🚀 Center!
Abortion bans now threaten our national security. We need to end this madness. Abortion is healthcare. Also one asshole Senator shouldn't be able to hold up our government functioning for the sake of his personal fucking "beliefs."
@heidilifeldman
Is there a reason, BTW, why they don’t simply change the Senate rules to that Tuberville can’t pull this BS?
I was under the impression that the rules could be changed by simple majority vote—but I guess our faves from Arizona and WV could probably block even that...
@tkinias Two problems: smaller one is that the Senate is not back in session until after Labor Day; major one is that a rules change can be filibustered.
@heidilifeldman
my recollection, from back when all the talk was of the “nuclear option,” was that they could bypass filibustering of nominations by employing a loophole that allowed a simple majority vote that couldn’t be filibustered—do I misremember that?
@tkinias I’m no expert on the ins and outs of Senate rules and procedure. Here’s what the Senate’s website says: “Senate rules also require a two-thirds vote to invoke cloture on a measure that would amend the Senate's rules though the measure itself requires only a simple majority vote for adoption.” In theory, Dems could use “nuclear option” but the only precedent for this is on judicial nominations, not usual legislation.
@heidilifeldman
I was just thinking that general & flag officer nominations requiring Senate confirmation could plausibly be viewed as analogous to judicial nomination, so that there would be some precedent for that “nuclear option”—but that would still have to get past the notorious two.
@heidilifeldman Yes it parallels states that are criminalizing leaving the state to obtain an abortion in a state where it is legal. Dred Scott returns. 😔
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