It's Thursday, June 16 and Day 124 since Justice Antonin Scalia died and Mitch McConnell laid down his Supreme Court blockade: No meetings, no hearings, no votes on his replacement. It's also Day 92 since President Obama named Merrick Garland to be Scalia's replacement. What's the Senate doing today instead of considering the Supreme Court nominee?
They have some housekeeping to vote on before going to conference with the House on the opioid abuse funding bill. But the real work is being done behind the scenes and on gun votes. Sen. Chris Murphy's talking filibuster succeeded in getting agreement from Republicans for votes on Democratic bills to expand background checks to online sales and at gun shows, and to block suspected terrorists from buying a gun.
Not that Republicans are happy about that. Mitch McConnell actually dismissed the stand Democrats took on Wednesday, saying they had used the Senate floor as a "campaign studio" and held a "campaign talkathon." He added:
"Of course no one wants terrorists to be able to buy a gun," McConnell said. "If Democrats are actually serious about getting a solution on that issue, not just making a political talking point, they'll join with us to support Senator Cornyn's" bill.
That would be the Cornyn who suggested that the filibuster was just Democrats trying to "embarrass" Republicans.
Democrats are not going to be lining up behind the NRA-approved Cornyn bill. In the words of Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, "It's a way for them to say they're doing something when they are doing nothing."
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