Harry Reid pushes Murthy’s nomination through.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: Dr. Vivek Murthy is likely to become the Surgeon General of the United States on Monday, December 15th, as he cleared the first procedural hurdle by a vote of 52-40 in the Senate today.
Votes on both cloture and confirmation for Murthy could come as early as Monday, reported The Huffington Post.
Murthy’s nomination has been stalled since March over fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association due to comments he made on gun control. A senior administration official told The Huffington Post last week that Murthy’s confirmation is a “top priority” for the White House.
There has been tremendous push for Murthy’s nomination on Capitol Hill and by strategists. Read that story here: http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/12/02/sen-mark-warner-gives-push-confirm-dr-vivek-murthy-surgeon-general/
Due to Republican objections, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) was forced to hold a series of procedural votes on each nominee, rather than a simple yes-or-no vote, said the Post.
Speaking on the Senate floor Saturday, Reid criticized Republicans for feigning anger over the nominees despite having known for weeks that he intended to hold a vote on them before the end of the lame-duck session.
“It’s clear that this impasse we’re having here today is not about nominees. It’s about preventing us from funding the government,” Reid said. “Senate Republicans are forcing completely unnecessary procedural votes just to waste time and slow us down from funding the government. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
He added: “Regrettably, a small group of Republicans has determined it’s in their political interest to hold this legislation hostage.”
The Democrats are also trying to push through in the Lame Duck session, apart from Murthy, Deputy Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken and Sarah Saldana, Obama’s pick to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
3 Comments
Murthy represents precisely the reason for the 2nd Amendment. Only a blind two-year-old believes this is about public safety. That was debunked when last used in the run up to World War Two. It has been tried a few times since and it didn’t work. Clearly, this is a democrat effort to subjugate conservatives. American founders affirmed with the 2nd Amendment the God given natural right for the express purpose of self defense from criminals, enemies and an oppressive government. For years, liberal politicians have denied that their objective is confiscation but they cannot use that lie ever again. New York recently launched its brand of confiscation. Fact is firearm ownership is no more a medical issue than guard dog ownership or video security or electric fencing or automobile door locks or… Besides, no doctor wishes to be involved in this aspect of their patients’ private lives unless their patients are being treated as dangerous psychopaths.
American citizens were never supposed to be compelled by the government to stand aside while the King’s men, nuts or felons waltz into their lives, harm their families, take personal possessions and stroll out unpursued. However, democrats routinely argue that victims weren’t justified in defending themselves because the trigger was pulled a nanosecond too early, before a felon’s weapon was discharged or a nanosecond too late, after a felon has struck. If confirmed, Murthy will have to explain why lawful firearm ownership is more dangerous than other threats. For example, raw figures show there were 600 accidental shooting deaths in 2010, yet there were 30,781 accidental poisoning deaths in that same year. Moreover, the CDC shows that Americans are approximately 10 times as likely to die from accidental suffocation vs. an accidental shooting and almost 6 times more likely to die via accidental drowning (non-boating related) than accidental shooting.
Gun violence is a public safety issue. You extremists who support the POS nra are the fringe minority
i agree easy accesses to all guns in every circumstances hurts and endangers lawful gun and none gun owners alike. our gun laws are a medical hazard and need fixing. Go dr Vivek you have my vote!