Reid blames GOP for crippling the Senate

“We have wasted weeks in this Congress, months in this
Congress on dilatory tactics,” said Reid. “[W]e have wasted valuable
time sitting around doing nothing … it’s really unfortunate.”

A handful of Republican senators are deploying tools afforded to
the minority in the Senate to gum up the works in order to force votes on their amendments, and also in retribution for President Obama’s recess appointments,
which they say were illegal.

Senate rules allow a single senator to demand 30 hours of
consideration and a vote on even mundane matters that have broad support. Only
one piece of legislation can sit on the floor at a time, and while the 30 hours are burned, nothing else can be considered.

Chairwoman of the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) joined
Reid on the floor on Tuesday and accused Republicans of acting to harm the nation’s infrastructure.

“Republican senators want to bring progress in this
country to a halt,” she said, speaking of the highway bill, which Democrats and most Republicans hope to pass this week.

The Senate is expected to turn to that bill later in the day after holding a confirmation vote on the confirmation of
Judge Adalberto Jordan to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for
the 11th Circuit at noon.