Reid urges Boehner not to ‘ignore’ Democrats during the 113th Congress, as he did in 112th
“In the 113th Congress, it will be incumbent upon the House Republican leadership to allow bipartisan bills passed by the Senate to come to a vote before the full House of Representatives — not before the Republican members only, but before Democrats and Republicans, all 435 of them,” Reid said on the floor Thursday.
{mosads}“Too many good pieces of legislation have died over the last two years because House Republican leaders insist on passing legislation with a majority of the Majority, that is, only Republicans. Democrats were ignored.”
Reid cited examples of legislation that the Senate passed and sent to the House during the 112th Congress that didn’t get votes in the House, such as postal reforms, the farm bill and the Violence Against Women Act. Reid added that when bipartisan legislation is voted on in the House it passes because of the aid of Democrats — he was referring to the deal passed earlier this week to avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
“As Speaker Boehner saw on New Year’s Day, when he allows every member of the House to vote — and not only the Republican members of the House to vote — Congress can enact bills into laws,” Reid said. “No major legislation can pass the Senate without the votes of both Democrats and Republicans.
“During the 113th Congress, the Speaker should strive to make that the rule in the House of Representatives, as well.”
Republicans and Democrats will have to work together again in two months in order to raise the debt ceiling and avoid sequestration for a second time.
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