WASHINGTON, July 16: US senators failed to reach a deal to avert a showdown over President Barack Obama’s executive-branch nominees and threats by Democrats to strip Republicans of their power to block such nominations with procedural hurdles known as filibusters.
Emerging from a meeting of all 100 senators that lasted more than three hours, Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said talks would go on. But it was unclear if the two sides would find common ground before Tuesday’s scheduled votes on seven nominees.
“We’ve had a very good conversation,” Reid told reporters yesterday. “The conversation is going to continue.”
Reid has said that unless all seven nominees are confirmed, Democrats were prepared to ignite “the nuclear option,” an unprecedented procedural power play to change the rules on filibusters.
Democrats, who control the Senate 54-46, have said their aim would be to reduce to 51 from the current 60 the number of votes needed to end filibusters against executive branch nominees.
Such action would cap years of Senate partisan battles and paralysis, and likely trigger even more fights and gridlock between Obama’s Democrats and Republicans.
“For a time, I think we will grind to a halt,” warned Republican Senator John McCain.
At yesterday’s meeting, members urged Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to keep talking to each other.
“I think the foundation is to try and find a path forward,” said Republican Senator John Boozman. “It’s not there yet.”
Democratic Senator Chris Coons said, “Joint caucus (meeting) was constructive, respectful and deliberate. Didn’t reach a deal, but I think we made progress understanding each other.”
Senate votes were set for today on the following nominees: Richard Cordray to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Richard Griffin, Sharon Block and Mark Pearce to be members of the National Labor Relations Board; Fred Hochberg to be president of the US Export-Import Bank; Thomas Perez to be labor secretary; and Gina McCarthy to be head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(agencies)
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