Home
>
Political
>
The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear Option

The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear Option

The partisan feuding in the U.S. Senate over federal judicial nominees is leading to a battle on the Senate floor that will have long term effects on the makeup of the federal courts and on the future of the filibuster as a tool in the Senate. The battle has been brewing for quite some time.

The Hulk Plan

Two years ago Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, upset over the blockage of another of President Bush's judicial nominees, Miguel Estrada, held an impromptu meeting with a small group of Republican Senators. He described a plan whereby the filibuster against federal judicial nominees could be blocked with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture under Senate Rule 22.

The bold and unprecedented plan was dubbed, "the Hulk plan," a reference to the tie that Senator Stevens was wearing which depicted the green comic hero, The Hulk. The Hulk plan was discussed among Republicans and guarded from Democrats as it was not immediately determined whether the Hulk plan was workable or desirable.

The core of the plan was to introduce a Point of Order after a filibuster had begun, asking that debate be limited and that a vote be taken. After the presiding officer sustains the Point of Order, an appeal would be entered, and a motion would be made to table the appeal. This would be a procedural issue which could not be filibustered and which would require only a simple majority for approval. The approval would specify a limited time frame for debate and bring the issue to a vote.

The Nuclear Option

Within a few weeks of the development of the Hulk plan, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi coined the term, "nuclear option" to describe the rule change process. The Senators realized that the plan would be like a nuclear explosion, resulting in increased alienation of the Democratic and Republican parties and numerous unpredictable consequences.

The Republican leadership realized that they might not be able to produce the 51 votes needed to make the "nuclear option" work, so they set the plan aside until after the 2004 national elections. The elections produced an increased Republican majority in the Senate of 55 Senators. When a straw poll among Senators convinced the Republicans that they could count on at least 51 votes, the Hulk plan was revived.

No Turning Back

President Bush will re-nominate several judicial nominees who were blocked in the last session of Congress. If the Hulk plan, or "nuclear option," is triggered and successfully upheld, there will be no turning back for the Republicans.

When Justice Abe Fortas was nominated by President Johnson in 1968 to replace Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Republicans successfully filibustered the nomination, causing President Johnson to withdraw the nomination. If the "nuclear option" is successfully used to prevent the Democratic Senators from using the filibuster to block federal judicial nominations, then the Republicans will also find themselves without the filibuster tool in the future when they are the minority party.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is a founding member of http://www.goodpoliticsradio.com and the owner of http://www.goodpoliticsradio.com

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear Option

Political