Rising tensions are testing Reid-McConnell relations

Tensions are set to rise between the two parties in the Senate in coming weeks, threatening to stifle the Democratic legislative agenda and test the amicable relationship between Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

After the collapse of immigration legislation last week over procedural concerns, rhetoric has been heating up. Democrats increasingly blame McConnell, who is up for reelection in 2008, tagging him as an obstructionist. The GOP stuck that same label on then Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), helping defeat him in his reelection bid in 2004.

{mosads}Some conservatives, upset that the immigration bill came to the floor without committee deliberations, grumble that McConnell is not combative enough with Reid and should challenge anything that does not follow regular Senate order, aides to two conservative senators say.

That could unhinge the cordial relationship between Reid and McConnell, which both say remains strong despite burgeoning battles.

 “This has not been an easy six months,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). “I think our friends on the other side of the aisle have wished to slow things down as much as possible with over and over again motions just to even go to a bill.”

Republicans accuse Reid of employing procedural tactics in an unprecedented way to bring legislation to the floor without
committee debate, to limit amendments on the floor and to end debate on legislation.

“I don’t know if he understands the difference [between] being a leader and being a dictator,” conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said.

Next week, Reid wants to bring to the Senate floor a bill passed by the House that would make it easier for labor unions to organize workforces, aides say. The bill, long-sought by labor but opposed by business, has not gone through the Senate committee process. Republicans plan to object to the bill’s consideration, forcing Reid to find 60 votes if the measure is to be considered in the narrowly divided Senate.

Even if the Senate reaches that threshold, Republicans may object to a unanimous consent request to waive 30 hours of debate to proceed to the bill. Doing so would mean debate on the bill would dominate much of the week, which Reid, with scarce floor time and a packed agenda before the July 4 recess, wants to avoid.

Jostling over process reflects the parties’ hope of framing political debate in the run-up to the 2008 elections, analysts say.

“I think Reid is ultimately … looking ahead to ’08, to shape the party’s reputation as much as his own reputation,” said Sarah Binder, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. “How well the Democrats do in part is going to do depend on what Democrats do in Congress, and he can blame Republicans [for] creating stalemates.”

Republicans point out that Reid has filed 39 cloture motions to limit debate or proceed to legislation this Congress, which is on pace to shatter the 68 cloture motions filed in the entire 109th Congress.

“The actions of the majority leader in filing cloture so many times this year takes the Senate out of its traditional role and it brings it more towards a House model, where debate is constricted,” said Brian Darling, director of Senate relations for the Heritage Foundation.

Two efforts to shut down debate on immigration failed last week after Republicans objected that too few of their amendments were considered during the Senate debate. Republicans complained that the Senate could have moved quickly and finished the immigration debate if Reid had tabled amendments or allowed many of them to be considered simultaneously. Reid retorted that Republicans were objecting to their own amendments and would not agree to a set number of amendments that could be considered.

When the immigration bill fell apart last week, McConnell said, “The message to the majority is, it’s going to take longer than you’d like to take, and it’s going to take more votes than you’d like to make. I think they have had to relearn that lesson several times. That is the reason this Congress, at least to this point, has such a paltry list of accomplishments.”

Reid shot back this week, saying his frequent use of cloture has been made necessary because of Republican obstruction.

McConnell “failed to mention that we have to do that because we’re not able to do anything without cloture,” Reid said. “On the most basic bills we did — lobbying ethics reform, minimum wage, 9/11 — everything that we’ve had to do, we have to get 60 votes first. So they’ve made it very difficult for us.”