Trump warns of “lunatics” taking over the US Senate
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump called on Senate Republicans to get rid of their veto power, warning that failure to do so would increase the chances of “crazy” Democrats taking control of Congress.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social page: “The Democrats are likely to win the midterm elections and the next presidential election if we do not end the policy of obstruction (the nuclear option!), because it will be impossible for Republicans to implement common-sense policies with the crazy Democrats able to block everything by withholding their votes.”
He added: “For three years, nothing will pass, the Republicans will be blamed, and the elections, including the midterm elections, will be absolutely brutal. But if we end the stalling, we will get everything approved, like no Congress has ever done in history.”
Trump explained that “we will have fair, free, and secure elections, no men in women’s sports or transgenderism, there will be strong borders, and big tax and energy cuts.”
He added: “If we don’t do that, the Democrats are likely to do well in the next election, which means a packed Supreme Court (increasing the number of Supreme Court justices), two more states, four more Democratic senators (D.C. and Puerto Rico), and eight more electoral votes.”
The US president noted that “Democrats had previously tried to amend the filibuster policy to pass voting rights legislation, but they failed by two votes.”
Trump urged Senate Republicans to use the “nuclear option” by eliminating the overwhelming majority vote requirement to pass legislation and end the government shutdown, as the United States continues to face a government paralysis due to the lack of an agreement in Congress.
Through this call, Trump seeks to eliminate an existing rule that allows 41 out of 100 senators to block any bill from being discussed or voted on, a procedural tool that has been adopted by both parties in the past.
The “filiation” or “obstruction of legislation” rule forces Democrats and Republicans to find common ground.
Because of the 60-vote threshold, Trump’s party must secure the support of a number of Democratic members in the Senate in order for the budget bill to be adopted, even if it has a majority in both chambers.
Shafaq.com