Washington, D.C. is in turmoil.
But it’s about to get even more hectic.
That’s because this one medical emergency just put a nail in Chuck Schumer’s agenda in the Senate.
With the Senate split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats, any one Senator’s absence prevents Chuck Schumer from ramming through Joe Biden’s agenda.
A seat on the Supreme Court just opened up.
But Democrats are facing a crisis after New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s office announced that he is in the hospital recuperating after suffering a stroke.
— Senator Ben Ray Luján (@SenatorLujan) February 1, 2022
Fortunately, Senator Lujan is expected to make a full recovery and eventually return to his duties in the Upper Chamber.
Everyone was glad to hear this.
“My understanding is [it’s] relatively minor, but he’s still in the hospital, expecting a full recovery. … It’s really easy for all of us in this business, to put this place first. And my hope is that Ben Ray will put himself first for the next few weeks so that he gets an absolute full recovery. Because I can’t do this job without his help. He is such a spark plug for the state that we’re all just hoping to have him back in the saddle as soon as it’s good for him,” New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich told reporters.
However, without Senator Lujan, Democrats do not have the 51 votes needed to advance nominees or ram through controversial legislation like a multi-trillion-dollar socialist spending bill using the budget reconciliation process.
This means that only bipartisan legislation and non-controversial nominees who attract some GOP support will be able to advance through the Senate until Lujan returns.
As a result of Lujan’s absence, Biden’s Supreme Court nominee is on thin ice.
If Lujan is out for a longer period of time than expected, Biden’s handlers may have to reconsider which candidate they tell him to nominate.
Without Lujan, Biden’s nominee will have to win some Republican votes, meaning he may end up being forced to pick a less radical nominee in order to confirm his pick to the Supreme Court.
Of course, Biden selecting a more moderate nominee would infuriate the radical Left.
But Biden may have no choice, as the current political reality may deem it necessary.
Political Animal News will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
