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Unit 9
DENYING UNANIMOUS CONSENT IN THE SENATE: Since much of
the Senate's business is done by unanimous consent, one senator
has a great deal of control over the schedule. He or she can simply
dissent, preventing action by unanimous consent.
ACCOMMODATING SENATORS' SCHEDULES: The Senate majority
leader not only has the delicate job of securing scheduling cooperation
from the minority, but also must take into account the schedules
of his fellow party members who do not want to miss key votes.
BLOCKING HOUSE CONSIDERATION: If there is no agreement
on a rule for consideration of legislation, it dies without action.
Voting against a rule is usually less politically dangerous than
opposing substantive legislation for which there is a reservoir
of public support.
RESTRICTIVE HOUSE RULES: The use of restrictive rules in
the House provides the majority party with considerable control
over floor procedures by denying the minority the ability to propose
amendments. Since the majority party has two-thirds of the seats
on the Rules Committee, they control the process. (See Stats,
Quirks and Examples)
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