There are rules. Here is the full document you can read if you want to
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/floor_activity_pail.htm
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/floor_activity_pail.htm
Comments
Cabinet positions get 30 hours of post-cloture
US District Courts get 2 hours of post-cloture debate
Other positions get 8 hours of post-cloture debate
So Gabbard would get 30 hours of debate.
/1
Monday, they met at 3, left at 7, so 4 hours.
Tues they met at 10 AM, and left at 9 PM, another 11 hours.
~17 hours in session -> at least 13 hours of debate left.
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/browse-by-date
/2
Except on Tuesday, by UNANIMOUS consent, they agreed to vote on Gabbard at 11 AM on Wednesday.
And that IF cloture happens for RFK, that the 30 hrs start Weds 1AM
https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/02/11/171/28/CREC-2025-02-11-senate.pdf
/3
Maybe there's some strategic method behind it. But I don't understand it, and they haven't explained it to us.
Did they make some deal to get McConnell to vote no? To get Rs to block RFK?
I damn well hope there's a good reason for it.
/4/
The staffers don't know (especially frustrating because a staffer told me last week that they WOULD be using the 30 hour debate!)
And there are too many calls to get a call back.
They told me to email if I wanted a reply.
this is what Democrats need to be doing right now! Republicans are already breaking the rules, we need Democrats to break more rules and out-bully the motherfuckers!
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
She finished reading the letter outside on the steps.
She got back in.