Dems block GOP push to tie immigration fight to spending bill.

[Free Vulcan]

Senate Democrats blocked a push Wednesday by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to tie a controversial fight over immigration to a broader appropriations bill currently before the Senate. 
Toomey tried to bring up his amendment to cut off some block grant funds for "sanctuary cities" — jurisdictions that don't comply with federal immigration law.

"It's really time to stop with this politically correct nonsense and being so worried that we can't offend anyone that we are going to risk the safety of our communities," said Toomey, who faces a tough reelection bid.
 
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who has been managing the spending bill for Democrats, objected, saying that cutting off the grants was "not the appropriate response to these very serious problems."
 
But Toomey fired back that Democrats are "afraid to go on record, afraid to let their constituents know whether they support sanctuary cities or not.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/280454-dems-block-gop-push-to-tie-immigration-fight-to-spending-bill

[don-o]

Has the Republican Senate ever used the nuclear option?

[MACVSOG68]

Has the Republican Senate ever used the nuclear option?

The only time I recall it is when they threatened it during Democrat filibusters against Bush's court nominations.  It was curtailed when the Gang of 14 reached an agreement to let future nominees be voted on.

They won't use it now because there's a good chance they won't be in the majority next year.  Having said that though, I don't like throwing purely political amendments into a spending bill.  Both sides do it, and it's one reason why we wind up with unread omnibus packages well into the next fiscal year.