The Senate cannot pass legislation by itself. This we all know. But there is one thing the Senate has the power to do by its lonesome: confirm nominees.
There are more than a hundred of President Obama's nominees waiting to be confirmed, are there not?
In terms of judicial nominees:
As of October 7, 2013... The number of ((Article 3 judicial)) nominations currently awaiting Senate action is 53...
With respect to other positions. This from February, but I doubt the number has gone down significantly.
A greater share of presidentially appointed positions that require Senate confirmation were sitting vacant at the end of Obama’s first term than at the end of Bill Clinton’s or George W. Bush’s first terms.
At least 68 of the positions remain vacant, including 43 that have been vacant for more than a year.
The Senate should start confirming them en masse - and if Republican Senators put up so much as a squeak or attempt to stop the confirmation votes in any way, then Reid should change the rules on confirmation votes just as he threatened to a few months ago.
Instead of waiting for the next House resolution authorizing 0.01% of the government to be funded because of the latest highlighted hardship, and then dismissing it when it arrives, the Senate could actually be doing something constructive.
An additional advantage would be watching Mitch McConnell's face shrivel even more into a prunelike state while turning blue.
Confirmations would continue apace until the House sent a clean CR and a clean debt-ceiling increase.
Just a thought.
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Check out this diary for a similar idea, plus more ways to 'up the ante' on Republicans!