{"id":25492,"date":"2011-01-27T13:35:19","date_gmt":"2011-01-27T20:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=25492"},"modified":"2011-01-27T20:07:03","modified_gmt":"2011-01-28T03:07:03","slug":"udall-defies-reid-mcconnell-senate-rules-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/01\/udall-defies-reid-mcconnell-senate-rules-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Udall defies Reid-McConnell rules deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)<\/p><\/div>\n

As U.S. Senate leaders from both parties pledged today that they won\u2019t use the so-called \u201cconstitutional option\u201d to try to change the chamber\u2019s rules by a majority vote, Sen. Tom Udall<\/a>, D-N.M., stood in defiance.<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid<\/a> and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell<\/a>, in announcing a deal to change some of the Senate\u2019s rules, pledged that neither will use the constitutional option in this Congress or the next.<\/p>\n

Udall has led the charge to invoke the constitutional option to combat the use of filibusters that have led to gridlock in the Senate \u2013 an effort that failed earlier this week<\/a>. The procedural move would utilize a provision in the U.S. Constitution that allows senators to change their rules on the opening day of a session by a majority vote. After the first day, it takes a two-thirds majority to change the rules.<\/p>\n

Udall said today on the Senate floor that he will keep fighting for the constitutional option.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good agreement for (Reid and McConnell),\u201d Udall said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t apply to 98 other senators. Each senator under the constitution has his or her right to rely on those constitutional rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to Sen.\u00a0Jeff Merkley<\/a>, D-Ore. and his partner in the fight to reform the way the Senate does business, Udall said, \u201cOther senators can say what they want to do, but we are going to stand and utilize our rights as we move down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that we will be at a place where we have 51 senators \u2013 Democrats and Republicans \u2013 that are going to continue to look at this and find a better way to make this institution work,\u201d he said. \u201cI think we\u2019re kind of stuck back in another century with some of these rules, and we really need to bring it up to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

Details of the deal<\/h3>\n

The deal announced by Reid and McConnell, which still needs (and is expected to receive) approval of two thirds of senators in votes that are taking place this afternoon, includes voting on the following proposals, according to a news release from Democrats:<\/p>\n