I don't think that this has been discussed here.. but while Obama has resigned from the Senate, I don't think Biden has. Good reason why too...

 

Senate was 51-49 before the elections. New Senate doesn't take office until January. With Obama's resignation, it stands at 50-49. If Biden resigned, it would be 49-49 and thus a tie. Cheney then becomes the tie breaker and pushes control back to the Republicans until January.

 

Just an interesting tidbit.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by lostfan

I don't think that this has been discussed here.. but while Obama has resigned from the Senate, I don't think Biden has. Good reason why too...

 

Senate was 51-49 before the elections. New Senate doesn't take office until January. With Obama's resignation, it stands at 50-49. If Biden resigned, it would be 49-49 and thus a tie. Cheney then becomes the tie breaker and pushes control back to the Republicans until January.

 

Just an interesting tidbit.

Actually...no it doesn't. At least in terms of being able to run things. The only time that it was ever structured so that vote-flipping or vote changing mid-session would result in a change of leadership in the Senate was in 2000, when it was actually tied 50/50. This year, just like in the other Senates, changing 1 or 2 seats doesn't change who winds up running the machinery of the Senate.

Edited thread title to remove some of the WTF factor.

Actually...no it doesn't. At least in terms of being able to run things. The only time that it was ever structured so that vote-flipping or vote changing mid-session would result in a change of leadership in the Senate was in 2000, when it was actually tied 50/50. This year, just like in the other Senates, changing 1 or 2 seats doesn't change who winds up running the machinery of the Senate.

 

so if Biden resigned, and it stood at 49-49 until January, who is the majority leader?

It would still be Reid. There is already historical precedent for these kinds of situations and I think the rules are already written too.

so if Biden resigned, and it stood at 49-49 until January, who is the majority leader?

Harry Reid.

 

The same thing would be true if, say, another Senator resigned or passed away on the Dem side as well. That is how the Senate Governing resolution was written at the start of this session. Harry Reid is the majority leader for this session of the Senate.

Edited thread title to remove some of the WTF factor.

 

 

Yeah, i got a little excited for a split second when i first saw that thread with the old title

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by ChiSox_Sonix