McConnell Leads Open Keystone Debate, Dems Moan And Complain

The Daily Caller reports:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already allowed more votes on amendments to the Keystone XL pipeline bill than former leader Harry Reid allowed in all of 2014 — but Democrats complained when McConnell tried to wrap up the process late Thursday.

“McConnell has just slammed the door on ‘open’ process — killing six D amendments w/o debate,” Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley tweeted.

Reid’s spokesman Adam Jentleson accused McConnell of shutting down debate so Republican senators could attend a retreat sponsored by Charles and David Koch on Friday.

Sen. Dick Durbin, who had praised McConnell earlier that same day for leading an open debate, said the move was not “in the best interest” of the Senate. Under Harry Reid’s leadership in 2014, Durbin won votes on just two amendments, compared to four in just a few weeks of McConnell’s Senate.

The strange world of the Democrat party in the Senate.