Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said in a speech Monday at the Center For American Progress that the Constitution does not protect the filibuster and that Republicans are forcing his hand on a partisan rules change if they block a series of impending nominees.
“The status quo won’t work,” he said. “What [Republicans] have done is really unbelievable. … “They’ve carried this to the extreme.”
Reid noted that Lyndon Johnson, as Senate majority leader, had overcome only one filibuster, while Reid, over a similar time period, has had to overcome at least 400.
He needled Republicans again for blocking nominees to agencies they dislike, regardless of their qualifications — specifically the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board — and demanding the agencies be reformed before anyone can be confirmed to lead them.
“You can’t reward bad behavior over and over and over again,” Reid said. “This is really a moment in history when circumstances dictate the need for change.”
