The Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Men Sometimes Go Astray by Tom Reynolds
You may have missed it, but Senator Patrick Leahy has a broken hip and that may be the most consequential news in the last two weeks of consequential news. The 82-year-old in question had surgery after a fall last Thursday and is said to be resting comfortably.
Per verywell health’s web site, ‘full healing of a broken hip can take many months. Most fractures take 10-12 weeks for healing, and the muscle strength and mobility can take much longer. Typically, people get close to their full recovery within 6 months of the injury, but it can take up to a full year to achieve as much improvement as possible.’
While Leahy recuperates, he won’t be able to cast votes and Democrats won’t be able to pass anything on a straight party line vote.
With polls predicting a Republican wave in the November election, just six months from now there will be a new and possibly Republican majority Senate. If Joe Biden and the extreme left wants to push through their extreme agenda and confirm extreme appointments such as judges and the BATFE Director, their window is narrowing to the period when Leahy is back. (And remember, at 82 healing is usually slow.) It’s likely Leahy won’t be available until after Labor Day and probably only available for big votes for awhile after that. As the elections get close, about one-third of the Senate will want to be campaigning and, also, they’ll want to avoid controversial Senate votes that will cost them votes.
Up until now, the Senate was split 50-50 but Vice President Kamala Harris could cast a tie breaking vote. Democrat Senator Joe Manchin was often the only vote for common sense among Democrat Senators and he kept some of their most egregious bills from passing.
If – and it’s a big if – Republicans hold the line they can stop the Democrats cold, at least for the next few months. They would also have the ability to trade votes on issues if they wanted to go on offense.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will be spending some time planning out how to get the biggest bang in the shortest time, and for him – as usual – politics will dominate his thinking. (Oh yeah, he’s one of the Senators running for reelection.) He’ll have to work on both a best-case and worst-case scenario AND he’ll also have to coordinate with Nancy Pelosi who has to coordinate with her own radical left. Won’t that be fun.
Although New York’s Democrat two Senators will be no help, now is the time to contact the Senate Minority leaders: Mitch McConnell (Minority Leader); John Thune (Whip); John Barrasso (Conference Chairman) and tell them you will be watching and you expect them to hold-the-line. They have a chance to cement in the November election or blow up their lead
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*phone numbers above are from US Senate website; if incorrect, Senate Switchboard: 202-224-3121*
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