Trump Attacks GOP Senators in Early Morning Tweets

President says senators 'look like fools'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2017 10:44 AM CDT
Trump Attacks GOP Senators in Early Morning Tweets
President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One after arriving at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., Friday, July 28, 2017, to speak on the street gang MS-13.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican senators "look like fools" and the Democrats "are laughing" at them, President Trump said in a five-tweet missive starting at 4:20am Saturday, Mediaite reports. The thrust of the president's tweetstorm was encouraging Republicans in the Senate to change the rules so they can pass legislation with 51 votes instead of 60. CNN explains that the Senate typically requires 60 votes to defeat a filibuster, which is why Republicans have been trying to pass tax reform and health care through the process of reconciliation, which is used for budgetary measures. Reconciliation only requires 51 votes to pass a bill but includes a number of restrictions—getting a bill scored by the CBO, for example.

"Reconciliation is killing R's in Senate," Trump tweeted. He went on to accuse Republican senators of "wasting time," saying, "200 Bills sit in Senate. A JOKE!" The president claimed the current rules are allowing "8 Dems to control country" and changing those rules would let Republicans "complete Healthcare." Roll Call points out that the final GOP health care bill was defeated by three Republican senators and that no GOP health care bill received even 50 votes this week. Finally, Trump tweeted that Democrats wouldn't hesitate to change the rules to 51 votes. Aides for Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer say both leaders oppose changing Senate rules. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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