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WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita Eagle, Kansas Democrats, Kris Kobach on voting, and the minimum wage.
In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita Eagle labels hold a clue to the newspaper #39;s attitude, Kansas Democratic Party income tax reckoning, straight-ti...

By: Bob Weeks

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WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita Eagle, Kansas Democrats, Kris Kobach on voting, and the minimum wage. - Video

Democrats Against Governor Walker #39;s Budget Proposals
Democrats Against Governor Walker #39;s Budget Proposals.

By: nbc26

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Democrats Against Governor Walker's Budget Proposals - Video

Senate Democrats are falling back in love with the filibuster.

After eight years of complaining about obstructionism, the Senates new Democratic minority is embracing some of the same tools Republicans had wielded so skillfully to jam the legislative machinery. On Tuesday, Democrats used the filibuster to stop a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and roll back President Barack Obamas immigration policies dead in its tracks.

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Democrats relationship with the filibuster had been on the rocks when they ran the Senate, a time when the GOP regularly used the procedural weapon to disrupt the majoritys agenda. Democrats responded by gutting the filibuster on nominations, making Republican obstruction a go-to explanation for the Senates gridlock and complaining bitterly when the GOP minority blocked debate from even opening on bills.

Then came Tuesdays 51-48 vote blocking the DHS bill. This was the first time a Democratic minority had blocked a bill from coming to the floor for debate since Aug. 3, 2006, when Democrats stifled legislation that would have raised the minimum wage and decreased the estate tax.

Casual Senate watchers could be forgiven for thinking that Democrats and Republicans had simply exchanged talking points after the 2014 election. Now in the majority, Republicans are the ones accusing the minority of keeping the Senate from getting things done.

Theyre refusing to debate a bill theyd like to change, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said of the Democrats. He added: Its rather an, honestly, absurd position. Im glad I didnt have to come out here and make that argument with you all, because I think its a pretty hard argument to make with a straight face.

McConnell, who had made countless procedural arguments against Democratic legislation during his stewardship of the minority, said Democrats instead should allow debate on the bill and offer amendments.

More filibusters may come in a matter of days if Republicans follow through on their threats to make Democrats repeatedly reject the DHS-immigration proposal. It appears Democrats will block any attempt to bring a DHS funding bill with riders to the floor.

Democrats have always supported keeping the filibuster for legislation, leaving it in place even when they gutted the 60-vote threshold on executive branch nominations in 2013. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set out this year prepared to use the procedural tool to parry aside legislation that his caucus broadly opposed and the DHS and its immigration policies fit the bill perfectly.

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Democrats learn to love the filibuster

Maryland Democrats, demoralized by their partys losses in November, have found a rallying cry: protect education spending.

Senior members of the House and the Senate joined the states largest teachers union at its headquarters in Annapolis on Tuesday to protest a budget proposal by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) that would curb planned funding of k-12 education in the coming fiscal year.

It is important for us never to cut back on our commitment to education, House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said at the packed event, at which the Maryland State Education Association unveiled a Web site where parents can see the potential impact of Hogans proposals on classrooms in their county.

Prince Georges County, for example, would get $6,909.92 less per classroom next year than expected, according to the Web site, which features a play on Hogans Change Maryland campaign slogan. The altered version: Dont Shortchange Maryland.

The news conference followed weeks of debate among Democrats over how to stand up to a Republican governor who prevailed at the polls by promising tax cuts and calling for spending restraint. It came a day before Hogan is scheduled to deliver his first State of the State address, which aides say will call for bipartisan cooperation in Annapolis and lay out the governors legislative agenda.

Hogan has stressed that his budget proposal still calls for record spending on K-12 education, even though counties would receive $144 million less next year than under current spending formulas.

We actually increased spending on education, Hogan said during a radio interview last week, in which he seemed on the defensive. We just didnt increase at the rate that people would like us to and that we would like to, frankly.

The governors aides pressed the same point Tuesday in e-mails and interviews, and noted that Hogan proposed spending $290 million next year on public school construction, roughly on par with levels of recent years under a Democratic governor.

We disagree that there are cuts, Hogans budget secretary, David Brinkley, told reporters in the basement of the State House. Brinkley said it is crucial to get spending under control following a period of escalating borrowing by the state, and said Hogan made some tough decisions in order to close an inherited $800 million shortfall.

While Hogan voters are likely to appreciate those considerations, Democratic lawmakers could get some traction with the public by standing up for education spending, some analysts said.

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As budget battle heats up in Annapolis, Democrats rally around schools funding

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday continued their assault on President Obamas signature accomplishments and his ambitious budget proposal. But they faced stiff resistance from Democrats.

The developments illustrated how a GOP majority in both chambers is no guarantee that Republicans will get what they want.

The Republican-led Senate tried and failed to move ahead on a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security but strip it of money for Obamas executive actions on immigration. The Republicancontrolled House again voted to repeal Obamas sweeping health-care reform law, a symbolic move that stands no chance of taking effect. And in both chambers, Republicans sought to shoot down Obamas $4 trillion budget in advance of releasing their own plans.

Senate Democrats blocked a $40 billion DHS funding bill that passed the House and would cover the department through September. They oppose the bill because of the GOPs effort to stop Obamas executive actions on immigration, including his decision to stem the deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants.

The move leaves unresolved whether DHS will receive a new funding bill before current spending runs out Feb. 27. The agency is bracing itself.

A shutdown of the DHS in these times is frankly too bitter to contemplate, but we have to contemplate it, said DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

The vote to proceed to debate on the bill fell almost entirely along party lines, with all 46 Democrats uniting to leave Republicans short of the 60 votes needed to advance the measure.

Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.), whose state is home to many Hispanic residents, was the sole Republican to join with Democrats. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted no, but only as a procedural tactic that allowed him to bring the bill up again.

Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that a clean DHS spending bill meaning one without provisions regarding Obamas immigration actions would be the only measure Senate Democrats could support.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats claimed Republicans were risking shutting down a key government agency amid heightened concerns about terror threats. Republicans countered that Democrats were acting unreasonably by preventing even an initial step forward on the measure.

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GOP majority faces problems as Democrats block bill to fund DHS in immigration fight