The Senate Chamber: Make the Senate Great Again

[Anere]

"Mister President, fellow Senators." Angelina rose to speak, "Perhaps we can put this behind us and focus on more pertinent issues of state?"

[Lykens]

"Mister President, I move to proceed to the third reading of the Amendment to the Standing Rules."

[Tectonix]

"Mister President, fellow Senators." Angelina rose to speak, "Perhaps we can put this behind us and focus on more pertinent issues of state?"

"Oh yes, Mr. President, let us put aside this insignificant issue of a judicial crisis for Senatorial rule amendments. Clearly, this Senate has better things to worry about."

[Lykens]

"Mister President, fellow Senators." Angelina rose to speak, "Perhaps we can put this behind us and focus on more pertinent issues of state?"

"Oh yes, Mr. President, let us put aside this insignificant issue of a judicial crisis for Senatorial rule amendments. Clearly, this Senate has better things to worry about."

"Mister President, as soon as the senator's leader appoints relevant committee people, the committees will go forward and nominees will reach the floor.

Until such time, I'm not going to sit and dawdle while the government ceases to work efficiently."

[The Sarian]

"Mr President, it is I who accuse you of acting on bad faith. Not only was it made clear in a front page article who the nominees were, but my office sent you an updated list of nominees before you started proceedings. If you would allow, I would ask your permission to prove this to the House and publish the communication so your actions can be seen in the correct context. Further, Mister President though the nomination was rushed through from the start of the debate to the start of voting when you and Ms Tamboli knew I would be absent from the Chamber - and I believe this was deliberate - I informed you both on the floor of this House and in private that you were acting in error, yet you chose to plough on. It is clear for all to see that you only stopped because you feared a loss of capital, or even a challenge to your position as a result of your deliberate and malicious actions. There were mistakes made today, Mister President, and a grown-up would own up to them. Instead, you've tried to lay the blame on I and the President to save face and make a partisan political statement. Shame on you, Mr President."

[Tectonix]

"Oh yes, Mr. President, let us put aside this insignificant issue of a judicial crisis for Senatorial rule amendments. Clearly, this Senate has better things to worry about."

"Mister President, as soon as the senator's leader appoints relevant committee people, the committees will go forward and nominees will reach the floor.

Until such time, I'm not going to sit and dawdle while the government ceases to work efficiently."

"Mr. President, I will remind the Majority Leader that the honourable Minority Leader has already made all necessary recommendations to committee."

[Werftkrieg]

"Aye!"

[Anere]

"Mister President, I move to proceed to the third reading of the Amendment to the Standing Rules."

Angelena was visibly frustrated. She spoke,

"I second the move of the majority leader."

"Mister President, Madame President, we are a new nation whose history is mucked up with violence and political uprising. I only briefly lived here to see it, but many of my constituents have lived in this nation only experiencing anti-democratic forces. Now, we have the power to alter our nation's history and change its perception on the world stage. While I understand that running a government and a legislative body is by no means easy and I cannot possibly wish to put myself in either of your positions. However, I call upon you, not as Senator Angelina Acosta but as citizen Angelina Acosta, to not turn smoke into fire. Nothing good can come of this mudslinging on either side and the only losers are you, me, and the people we are elected to represent.

I understand that there is serious work to be done on both sides, but democracies do not stand if one branch is not only shutting the other out but actively trying to subvert its authority. We are walking down a dangerous road that leads to civil unrest and the fracturing of this democracy. A government which works efficiently is one that can put aside differences and personal quarrels and fight for its people. I implore of both sides, liberal or conservative, majority or minority, to stop this nonsense and focus on the issues. Remember, strong minds discuss ideas; weak minds discuss people."

[Tectonix]

"Mr. President, Senator Angelina Acosta would be wise to know that the pressing issue right now is the lack of proper judge-presidents. We cannot pass a bill on healthcare while Fortaleza burns — we cannot pass a bill on tariffs we police clash with riots blocks from the Senate."

"This is the most pressing issue now, and the fact that the Majority Leader thought this was time to take advantage of the crisis and appoint someone never nominated by the President is something I never thought possible. Clearly, I thought wrong."

[The Sarian]

"Mister President, I move to proceed to the third reading of the Amendment to the Standing Rules."

Angelena was visibly frustrated. She spoke,

"I second the move of the majority leader."

"Mister President, Madame President, we are a new nation whose history is mucked up with violence and political uprising. I only briefly lived here to see it, but many of my constituents have lived in this nation only experiencing anti-democratic forces. Now, we have the power to alter our nation's history and change its perception on the world stage. While I understand that running a government and a legislative body is by no means easy and I cannot possibly wish to put myself in either of your positions. However, I call upon you, not as Senator Angelina Acosta but as citizen Angelina Acosta, to not turn smoke into fire. Nothing good can come of this mudslinging on either side and the only losers are you, me, and the people we are elected to represent.

I understand that there is serious work to be done on both sides, but democracies do not stand if one branch is not only shutting the other out but actively trying to subvert its authority. We are walking down a dangerous road that leads to civil unrest and the fracturing of this democracy. A government which works efficiently is one that can put aside differences and personal quarrels and fight for its people. I implore of both sides, liberal or conservative, majority or minority, to stop this nonsense and focus on the issues. Remember, strong minds discuss ideas; weak minds discuss people."

"Senator, there are murderers being released from police custody every single day and many communities have filled the void in the justice system with sharia law. Knowing this, the President of the Senate and Ms Tamboli chose to hijack a nomination and then, when they didn't get their way, chose to not confirm any judges after all and instead debate standing orders - again. We would be doing a disservice to the nation if that fact wasn't made known."

[FreYhill]

Angelena was visibly frustrated. She spoke,

"I second the move of the majority leader."

"Mister President, Madame President, we are a new nation whose history is mucked up with violence and political uprising. I only briefly lived here to see it, but many of my constituents have lived in this nation only experiencing anti-democratic forces. Now, we have the power to alter our nation's history and change its perception on the world stage. While I understand that running a government and a legislative body is by no means easy and I cannot possibly wish to put myself in either of your positions. However, I call upon you, not as Senator Angelina Acosta but as citizen Angelina Acosta, to not turn smoke into fire. Nothing good can come of this mudslinging on either side and the only losers are you, me, and the people we are elected to represent.

I understand that there is serious work to be done on both sides, but democracies do not stand if one branch is not only shutting the other out but actively trying to subvert its authority. We are walking down a dangerous road that leads to civil unrest and the fracturing of this democracy. A government which works efficiently is one that can put aside differences and personal quarrels and fight for its people. I implore of both sides, liberal or conservative, majority or minority, to stop this nonsense and focus on the issues. Remember, strong minds discuss ideas; weak minds discuss people."

"Senator, there are murderers being released from police custody every single day and many communities have filled the void in the justice system with sharia law. Knowing this, the President of the Senate and Ms Tamboli chose to hijack a nomination and then, when they didn't get their way, chose to not confirm any judges after all and instead debate standing orders - again. We would be doing a disservice to the nation if that fact wasn't made known."

"Hear Hear"

[Anere]

"Madame President, Senator Viel, I hear you completely and I understand your concerns. But the question is, what are you prepared to do? Highlighting a problem is meaningless without a course of action to fix the problem. Both sides are angry because both sides accuse the other of misdoings. We can draw lines in the sand for the rest of the session and accuse each other of misdoings and the like but in the end all that does is take up time. In the end, rational thinking and decorum should always trump partisan bickering. Yes, Madame President, we may be doing this nation a disservice by not making that fact known, but we would be doing the people a greater disservice if we waste our time bickering while we let the streets of our nation run red with blood."

[FreYhill]

"Madame President, Senator Viel, I hear you completely and I understand your concerns. But the question is, what are you prepared to do? Highlighting a problem is meaningless without a course of action to fix the problem. Both sides are angry because both sides accuse the other of misdoings. We can draw lines in the sand for the rest of the session and accuse each other of misdoings and the like but in the end all that does is take up time. In the end, rational thinking and decorum should always trump partisan bickering. Yes, Madame President, we may be doing this nation a disservice by not making that fact known, but we would be doing the people a greater disservice if we waste our time bickering while we let the streets of our nation run red with blood."

"Mr President,

Why is the Honorable Senator seconding the standing rules tabled by the Majority Leader then? Surely if you wish to stop the streets of our nation being run red with blood you would support the confirmation of a candidate who has been nominated by the President of the Federal Republic."

[Tectonix]

"Madame President, Senator Viel, I hear you completely and I understand your concerns. But the question is, what are you prepared to do? Highlighting a problem is meaningless without a course of action to fix the problem. Both sides are angry because both sides accuse the other of misdoings. We can draw lines in the sand for the rest of the session and accuse each other of misdoings and the like but in the end all that does is take up time. In the end, rational thinking and decorum should always trump partisan bickering. Yes, Madame President, we may be doing this nation a disservice by not making that fact known, but we would be doing the people a greater disservice if we waste our time bickering while we let the streets of our nation run red with blood."

"What am I prepared to do, Mr. President? Well, let me fill in the honourable Senator, since it appears she means no harm. The President has already made her nominations for Judge-Presidents, and the Minority Leader has had his input in this region as well. What needs to happen is an executive session on those nominations, not fabricated ones from the Majority Leader. It is quite simple, really."

"I also would like to note the statement of my fellow CU colleague, and ask the honourable Senator why she would focus on precious time-consuming rules amendments if she claims to understand my concerns, and has so eloquently made a case for supporting the actions that I wish to take."

[Anere]

"Madame President, Senator Viel, I hear you completely and I understand your concerns. But the question is, what are you prepared to do? Highlighting a problem is meaningless without a course of action to fix the problem. Both sides are angry because both sides accuse the other of misdoings. We can draw lines in the sand for the rest of the session and accuse each other of misdoings and the like but in the end all that does is take up time. In the end, rational thinking and decorum should always trump partisan bickering. Yes, Madame President, we may be doing this nation a disservice by not making that fact known, but we would be doing the people a greater disservice if we waste our time bickering while we let the streets of our nation run red with blood."

"Mr President,

Why is the Honorable Senator seconding the standing rules tabled by the Majority Leader then? Surely if you wish to stop the streets of our nation being run red with blood you would support the confirmation of a candidate who has been nominated by the President of the Federal Republic."

"No, Mister President, I supported the Majority Leader's motion to allow for a period wherein cooler heads could prevail. However, it seems that the current state has rendered that option unavailable, and I agree with the Honorable Senator that this issue must be addressed. I also support the proposition made by the Senator Viel.

[Lykens]

"Mister President, the committees need to meet before we confirm the nominees, there are two days before the time limit has expired, as the committees have all been appointed sufficiently.

We will progress with other business in the meantime."

[Tectonix]

Alexios Viel chuckled. "It's good to see the honourable Senator agrees with my proposition, Mr. President. However, due to the consolidation of power in the Majority Leader via the Standing Rules, nobody except herself can actually move to initiate an executive session."

"Of course, Mr. President, accepting an un-seconded suspension of the rules would be helpful in this instance. If only it came out of the Majority Leader's mouth...oh well."

[Ainin]

"Order. The parliamentary secretary to the President shall withdraw their remarks deriding the character of the presiding officer."

"Furthermore, the committees for the consideration of the new nominees have not met. There are no outstanding nominations to enter executive session on."

[Tectonix]

"Mr. President pro tempore, point of parliamentary inquiry. Is it not true that committee recommendations for department Secretaries have already been submitted, and with the committees' inaction on the secretaries, qualifying the nominations as 'outstanding' and pending an executive session?"

[Ainin]

"Senator Viel, pardon me if I misunderstand your inquiry, but the President has not nominated any cabinet secretaries to my knowledge."

[Tectonix]

"Mr. President, I would allow the President's parliamentary private secretary to respond on that front. However, I thank you for your swift response."

"Also, Mr. President, consider my previous inquiry ill-stated, as I admit it contained misleading information due to me not being aware of the status of the committees. The committees have never been convened, therefore it would be wrong of me to say they did not act. I apologise for this."

[Ainin]

"If you're interested, Senator, the President has to the best of my knowledge nominated individuals to fill the following posts."

"Judge-President of the Eastern District."
"Judge-President of the Central District."
"Judge-President of the Western District."
"Judge-President of Fortaleza, not sure about this one, since rescinded."
"Judge-President of Federal Claims, since rescinded."
"Procurator-General."

"It might be worth noting for the record that none of these courts have jurisdiction over alleged crimes in Fortaleza."

[The Sarian]

"Order. The parliamentary secretary to the President shall withdraw their remarks deriding the character of the presiding officer."

"Furthermore, the committees for the consideration of the new nominees have not met. There are no outstanding nominations to enter executive session on."

"Mr President Pro Temporae, I chose my words very carefully and in most cases echoed the language the President himself used. Tell me the particulars you find unparliamentary and I will address that but in the meanwhile I will not withdraw."

[Tumbra]

"Mister President, I move to proceed to the third reading of the Amendment to the Standing Rules."

Seconded.

[Ainin]

"You will withdraw the word 'partisan' and insinuations that the President deliberately plotted with the Majority Leader under Standing Rule 1h for impugning upon the integrity of the impartial office of the presiding officer."

"You will furthermore withdraw the false and unparliamentary insinuations that the presiding office is juvenile under Standing Rule 18e."

"Furthermore, you will not be 'addressing' these statements but you will instead withdraw them without reservation."