Reid Goes Nuclear

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) orchestrated a major change in Senate rules Friday, invoking the “nuclear option” in an effort to prevent Republicans from adding amendments to Democrats’ Chinese currency legislation.

The controversial procedure requires only 51 votes, and passed with a slim party line vote of 51-48. The result enraged Senate Republicans.

“In the United States Senate the minority is entitled to be heard. Not entitled to win, but entitled to be heard,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), visibly frustrated, said on the Senate floor.
The key amendment that Republicans were attempting to link to the bill was the President’s jobs plan, which was unlikely to pass and would have embarrassed Democrats. McConnell noted that Reid’s move was an inappropriate way to dodge an uncomfortable vote.

“The price of being in the majority is you have to take bad votes,” McConnell explained.