The precarious balance in the US Senate should remind Democrats to make hay while the sun shines.
By Curt Anderson
January 27, 2021 5:39 pm
Category: Politics
(5.0 from 1 vote)
The 50/50 Senate is balanced on a knife's edge. The Democrats' control is no firmer than the health of the least healthy Democrat from a state with a Republican governor. One dead or incapacitated Democrat may mean that Mitch McConnell gets the gavel back from Chuck Schumer. Even in the case of a lengthy interregnum between a Democratic senator and their replacement, regardless of who their governor is, Mitch McConnell could become Majority Leader again, at least temporally.
If Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) at 80 years old or Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at 79 years old, died or resigned, Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) would name their replacement. Leahy was briefly hospitalized yesterday.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at 78 years old. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) would name his replacement.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) is 83. Gov. Laura Kelly (D-KS) would name his replacement.
There are other elderly senators including Democrat Dianne Feinstein (86), Republicans Chuck Grassley (86), Richard Shelby (85) and Jim Inhofe (85) but their states' governors are of the same party.
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(5.0 from 1 vote)
The 50/50 Senate is balanced on a knife's edge. The Democrats' control is no firmer than the health of the least healthy Democrat from a state with a Republican governor. One dead or incapacitated Democrat may mean that Mitch McConnell gets the gavel back from Chuck Schumer. Even in the case of a lengthy interregnum between a Democratic senator and their replacement, regardless of who their governor is, Mitch McConnell could become Majority Leader again, at least temporally.
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