maddogdrivethru.net

Step back from the Kavanaugh cacophony. Examine what lawmakers from both parties in both chambers accomplished in September and early October, with virtually zero fanfare.

Amid the turmoil, Congress approved the first revamp of national aviation policy in years. The Senate approved the final version of the legislation 93-6. This came after a staggering six extensions due to bickering and disagreement.

Then, Congress approved a sweeping, bipartisan measure to combat opioid abuse. The House okayed the package 393-8. The Senate adopted the measure 98-1.

And, there was no government shutdown. The House and Senate came to terms on two bipartisan bills which funded five of the 12 annual spending bills which operate the government. The sides agreed to latch an additional measure to one of the spending plans to fund the remaining seven areas of federal spending through December 7. President Trump briefly threatened to force a government shutdown if lawmakers didn’t include money for his border wall in the plan. But the President ultimately punted that battle until December. Democrats praised Republicans for keeping conservative “poison pill” riders out of the appropriations bills. That decision drew Democratic support for the measures.

The Senate approved a bipartisan water and infrastructure package.

McConnell hailed the bipartisanship which descended upon the Senate – even as the senators fought over Kavanaugh. Nearly in the same breath, McConnell derided boisterous, anti-Kavanaugh protesters outside the Capitol as a “mob.”

McConnell insisted this week he needed the Senate to clear a slate of 15 conservative judges to lower courts before he could cut senators loose for the midterm elections. McConnell and Schumer appeared at loggerheads. McConnell’s goal was clear: extract the confirmation of these nominees – or tether to Washington vulnerable Democratic senators from battleground states to keep them off the campaign trail.

Schumer knew McConnell would ultimately prevail on the nominees after the midterms. So the New York Democrat accepted McConnell’s ransom, permitting the Senate vote on a slate of nominees on Thursday night. Schumer also extracted a concession from McConnell: send senators home until November 13th.

The Arizona senate seat isn't too bad, it's just a two year term until it's up for grabs again.

We'd best get our shit together for 2020, no more games with recounts.

The 2018 United States Senate election in Arizona took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Arizona and replace Senator Jeff Flake, who did not run for re-election. It was held concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

In September 2018, Kyl was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to serve in the Senate seat left vacant by the death of John McCain.[10][9] At a press conference accepting the appointment, Kyl announced that he may only serve until the end of the 115th United States Congress, which ends on January 3, 2019, but that he would definitely not run for the remainder of the term following the 2020 special election.

United States Senate special election in Arizona, 2020
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States Senate special election in Arizona, 2020 will be held on November 3, 2020. Following the death of Republican U.S. Senator John McCain on August 25, 2018, Governor Doug Ducey was required to appoint a Republican[1] to fill the vacancy in McCain's Senate seat.[2] In September 2018, Ducey appointed former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl to fill McCain's seat until after the Special Election of November 2020. This will determine who serves the remainder of the term until January 2023. Kyl has announced that he does not intend to run to complete the term.[3]

No worries. It was a near thing. 30k margin of victory for Sinema. Democratic party operatives had already started a hate campaign against the Green Party candidate in the event McSally won. I view Sinema as a short term solution.