Durbin Statement On Republicans Voting To Overrule The Senate Parliamentarian
Durbin: Today’s decision by my Senate Republican colleagues will have major long-term impacts for the Senate and the legislative filibuster
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding Senate Republicans voting to overrule a decision by the Senate Parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), therefore eliminating longstanding guardrails and paving the way for a future Senate majority to overrule the Parliamentarian to achieve its partisan goals.
Last month, the Senate Parliamentarian, after analyzing the GAO’s opinion, ruled that Senate Republicans cannot use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a waiver granted to California by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate its own vehicle emissions. However, Senate Republicans voted today to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian and the GAO regarding the CRA, which is unprecedented.
“What my Senate Republican colleagues did today is a procedural nuclear option—a dramatic break from Senate precedent with profound institutional consequences.
“Now that Senate Republicans have disregarded the GAO and the Parliamentarian’s decision, they have set a new precedent in the Senate—one that future Democratic majorities will be able to take advantage of as well. As I’ve said time and time again: there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans and another set of rules for Democrats.”
Earlier today, Durbin spoke on the Senate floor and cautioned his Senate Republican colleagues from overruling a decision by the Senate Parliamentarian and the GAO.
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