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Biden may keep Dem Senators out of Cabinet due to needing their votes in the Senate to pass Coronavirus relief

texmechanica

texmechanica

Member
Nov 19, 2018
417
https://www.axios.com/biden-cabinet...ers-a9903e50-a8e1-4416-b24a-ddfbe3b48afe.html
Joe Biden’s team is considering an informal ban on naming Democratic U.S. senators to the Cabinet if he wins — which would effectively block Elizabeth Warren for Treasury or Bernie Sanders for Labor — people familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

The big picture: Biden, if he wins, is bracing for bruising legislative battles on day one, starting with the next phase of coronavirus relief. Many advisers don’t think he can afford to lose a single vote in the Senate if Democrats hold a slim majority.
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Would love to see both Bernie and Warren in the cabinet, but I think the risk is too great with both senators liable to be replaced by the selection of a Republican governor.
 
sphagnum

sphagnum

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,458
Going to be honest - as someone who will probably inevitably hate whoever Biden picks for his cabinet, this is bad framing.
 

walkinfast

Member
Aug 24, 2019
694
As great as it would be to have both Warren and Biden in the cabinet, this is a very smart move.
 
Courage

Courage

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,958
NYC
true, the more Republicans in there the better. gotta start compromising from day 1 if we're gonna get any shit done
 
gigantor21

gigantor21

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,369
In the context of him needing as many Dems in the Senate as possible--the actual context, not the sensationalist BS in the headline--it makes sense.
 
IggyChooChoo

IggyChooChoo

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Oct 25, 2017
5,456
Dems have a supermajority in the MA legislature, and a near-supermajority in the Vermont legislature. I would look for any movement there to change succession law before reading the tea leaves of the Biden circle.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

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Oct 25, 2017
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why isn’t the title of the article “Biden may keep Dem Senators out of Cabinet” lol
 
Ether_Snake

Ether_Snake

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Oct 29, 2017
9,108
How likely is it that those seats would end up with a Republican? Note sure how senate stuff works in the US.
 
Tuck

Tuck

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Oct 25, 2017
2,241
For the non US folk... Being in the cabinet means they can't serve in the Senate? Who would replace them in the Senate? Do new people have to be elected to the Senate?
 
makonero

makonero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,389
It makes practical sense, even if it sucks for them individually. I would love Bernie and Warren in the cabinet but we need all the senators we can get.
 
DrForester

DrForester

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Oct 25, 2017
13,176
That's a pretty click-bait headline. People might think he doesn't want them in his Cabinet, rather than thinking they're more useful int he Senate.
 

JackDT

Member
Oct 27, 2017
414
Senators are powerful positions. Unless one is going to retire anyway, they are probably better utilized as Senators.
 
Perkin_Warbeck

Perkin_Warbeck

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Jan 27, 2020
2,180
Washington, DC
Tuck said:
For the non US folk... Being in the cabinet means they can't serve in the Senate? Who would replace them in the Senate? Do new people have to be elected to the Senate?
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You have to resign from the Senate to serve in the cabinet. Generally, when a vacancy in the Senate arises during a term, the Governor gets to appoint someone to the seat for some period of time. The issue here is Vermont and Massachusetts having Republican governors. I believe MA law would have a special election come within 6 months, but that time could still be incredibly important at the start of a Biden presidency.
 
Keywork

Keywork

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Oct 25, 2017
1,918
Ether_Snake said:
How likely is it that those seats would end up with a Republican? Note sure how senate stuff works in the US.
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Tuck said:
For the non US folk... Being in the cabinet means they can't serve in the Senate? Who would replace them in the Senate? Do new people have to be elected to the Senate?
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The Governors of both Mass. and Vermont are Republican and they have the pleasure of picking the replacement Senator until a special election occurs based on state laws and those picks would probably be Republican. That would cut into a possible Democrat majority or remove the majority all together depending on the outcomes of Tuesday's election.
 
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RustyNails

RustyNails

Member
Oct 26, 2017
17,305
This is unfortunately the right move. Biden is gonna need his generals for the war coming. There is no time for shuffling. Remember what happened in 2009 when Ted Kennedy died and killed public option with him.
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
17,600
They will be more effective as Senate Committee leaders anyway
 
CDX

CDX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,057
Smart. The Democrats likely can’t afford to lose a single Senator even if only for 6 months or so.

Now in the unlikely event if the Democrats get 56 Senators or something, maybe he can be more flexible.
 
Armaros

Armaros

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Oct 25, 2017
4,667
Ser_Foxalot said:
You have to resign from the Senate to serve in the cabinet. Generally, when a vacancy in the Senate arises during a term, the Governor gets to appoint someone to the seat for some period of time. The issue here is Vermont and Massachusetts having Republican governors. I believe MA law would have a special election come within 6 months, but that time could still be incredibly important at the start of a Biden presidency.
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And there is historical context, the last time MA had a vacancy like that, we had a Republican take the MA senate seat.

the seat that Warren then won from said Republican.

so taking her out and repeating history again, would be the worst play
 
djdblgulp1

djdblgulp1

Banned
Oct 29, 2020
47
It’s funny that anyone would think that Biden would put anyone left of center in his cabinet. It has nothing to do with whether or not they have a senate seat. Gives him a convenient excuse though.
 
mugurumakensei

mugurumakensei

Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you!
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Oct 25, 2017
7,326
Biden wants bills to pass through senate if he’s president is the actual headline.
 
Plumbob

Plumbob

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Oct 25, 2017
3,629
Courage said:
true, the more Republicans in there the better. gotta start compromising from day 1 if we're gonna get any shit done
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Fucking tired of people reading bad faith into every decision without acknowledging or addressing counterpoints

Warren and Bernie would be replaced by republican governors. Start by acknowledging that and show your work
 
Squarehard

Squarehard

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Oct 27, 2017
17,510
He should also take a bunch of Republican Senators and put them in useless cabinet positions.
 

ChippyTurtle

Member
Oct 13, 2018
4,329
JackDT said:
Senators are powerful positions. Unless one is going to retire anyway, they are probably better utilized as Senators.
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^
Bernie and Warren remain big dogs in the Senate, if they really want to go into the Cabinet and the Senate majority is secure, Biden should let them in, but in terms of positioning a progressive front, their best place is in the Senate.

Most likely Warren and Bernie will just push their favorable candidates for Cabinet positions and senior policymaking.
 

SkyOdin

Member
Apr 21, 2018
2,224
Tuck said:
For the non US folk... Being in the cabinet means they can't serve in the Senate? Who would replace them in the Senate? Do new people have to be elected to the Senate?
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Yeah, a Senator would have to give up their seat in order to have a cabinet position. Both are full-time jons, and seperation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government are pretty strictly maintained. If a Senator leaves their post early, usually the Governor of the state appoints a temporary replacement. Then, a special election is eventually held to elect a new replacement. This can lead to a Senate seat swapping to the control of the other party, depending on the whims of the electorate.
 
killerrin

killerrin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,385
Toronto
Ether_Snake said:
How likely is it that those seats would end up with a Republican? Note sure how senate stuff works in the US.
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Well, at worst the Governors of their states get free reign to appoint a new member until an election is called for the seat. At best you just lost all those democratic votes. Which is still pretty bad all things considered.

Given everything that's at stake. Biden simply cannot afford to jeopardize any votes. If Bernie or Warren wanted to be on the cabinet he would have had to step down and let their seats be won by someone else.
 
Iorek Byrnison

Iorek Byrnison

Member
Jun 2, 2020
4,859
What good are appointments like Bernie or Warren if you lose the senate in the process?

There are plenty of qualified and great people that aren’t senators.
 
Randolph Freelander

Randolph Freelander

Member
Jun 14, 2019
1,639
I never would have expected either of them in the cabinet. You shouldn't pluck people out of the Senate unless they were planning to retire anyway and/or were facing a difficult re-election.
 
WedgeX

WedgeX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,338
Well, yeah. Any Democratic Senator with a Republican governor - who gets to choose who replaced them until a replacement election is held - should not be pulled from their seat.
 
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