Inside Harry Reid’s Senate ‘Plantation’

Photo Credit: T.J. Kirkpatrick / GettySenate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats have demanded an apology from Rep. Bill Cassidy after he accused Sen. Reid of running the Senate “like a plantation,” but there is at least some truth to the accusation.

Since April of last year, Sen. Reid has allowed a vote on just 58 amendments — 30 from the GOP — according to Senate records. The Senate majority leader before him, Republican Bill Frist, by comparison, held votes on 231 amendments over a comparable time period (April, 2005 through Sept. 9, 2006), and the Senate majority leader before that, Democrat Tom Daschle, held 174 votes (April, 2001 through Sept. 9, 2002).

“Harry Reid has literally shut down the amendment process,” Brian Phillips, a spokesman for Republican Sen. Mike Lee told The Daily Caller. “Reid allows at most maybe 2 or 3 amendments, mostly no amendments.”

As majority leader, Sen. Reid has the power to decide which bills come to the floor, and when, and he also decides which amendments to those bills are debated and voted on. The minority party often relies on the amendment process to make their voice heard and force the majority to take a position on certain points.

Read more from this story HERE.