Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday that he and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have finally reached an agreement on a power-sharing resolution.
The move allows Democrats to take control of committees, which they would have been locked out of without a deal.
“I am happy to report this morning that the leadership of both parties have finalized the organizing resolution for the Senate. We will pass the resolution through the Senate today, which means that committees can promptly set up and get to work with Democrats holding the gavels,” the New York Democrat said on the floor of the Senate.
Schumer added that he’s “confident our members are ready to hit the ground running on the most important issues facing our country.”
I wonder what Mitch got in return for giving into Schumer?
The new power-sharing agreement is modeled after the organizing resolution from 2001 — the last time there was a 50/50 Senate. There have been hiccups along the way in striking a deal because McConnell wanted written assurances from Schumer that Democrats would not due away with the legislative filibuster.
McConnell retracted his demand after two Democratic senators — Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema — said they would not vote to get rid of the provision that requires 60 votes for most major legislation to advance.
Schumer made it clear he’s prioritized climate change for Democrats’ turn at power for the next two years.
I wonder if he will work in some new Supreme Court judges?
Schumer already announced the new Democratic committee chairs, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as chair of the Budget Committee; Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., as leader of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, as the head of the Judiciary Committee.