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Will 'nuclear option' for Democrats happen in the Senate?

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    Possibility raises GOP concern

  • Duration 2:37
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A senate majority leader Harry Reid has his finger on the nuclear button.

Not the actual one but the so called nuclear option in the chamber the bills itself as the world's greatest deliberative body.

Correspondent Doug Callaway has the details from Capitol Hill.

The Cold War never got this hot.

The threat of a retaliatory attack mutually assured destruction -- unthinkable.

But in the US senate the unthinkable metaphorical nuclear option may happen.

When majority leader Harry Reid convenes the new congress in January and it's provoking a stern threatened retaliation from the minority are you prepared -- -- Under the rule of you're not abandon the nuclear option would allow the majority to end filibusters were defeat amendments by a simple majority vote not to sixty vote majority or three fifths threshold that the senate rules -- required for major legislation for well over thirty years.

My threshold that historians say honored the founders' intent of limiting the tyranny of the majority.

Nuclear option is a power grab by senate majority leader Harry Reid the record of the democratic leadership of course back this up.

It is engaged in a systematic effort to use and abuse senate procedures to marginalize the voice of the minority in the legislative process.

McConnell says an example of -- abuse of power he's his passing over committees nearly seventy times to write bills behind closed doors.

McConnell admits that Republicans have also bypass committees but only thirty times he sex and the filibuster looks entirely different to you.

If you're stating in the majority if you're standing in the minority and indeed both parties' positions on the filibuster in the nuclear option are chock full of hypocrisy when -- through the lens of history.

In 2005.

Senate Democrats were in the minority and objected to a similar Republican threat of -- nuclear option.

You should not be able to come -- here and change and really knowing full rule of the -- -- -- sending you change.

By the rules everyone in this chamber knows that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster.

If they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate.

-- the fighting and the bitterness.

And the gridlock will only get worse on sat in the back and forth is that the mere threat may produce results often times the threat of going nuclear.

Is enough to get the parties to sit down to negotiate some sort of compromise former majority leader Trent Lott says there's an easier way it's not that difficult.

It's -- leadership even if Reid pulls the nuclear trigger it's no assurance of efficient governance.

His senate has not passed a budget in three and a half years and all that requires is a simple majority vote.

Right Deb thank you.

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