The D.C. snowstorm and Omicron variant have crushed plans by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to begin the 2022 midterm year with a legislative flurry.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrives at the Capitol on Tuesday. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Multiple Senate aides and reporters have also decided not to come into work because of the rapid spread of coronavirus in recent weeks.he was stuck on I-95 for more than 27 hours after trying to get to D.C. on what is his usual 2-hour commute.The spike in the Omicron variant also forced Schumer to move Democrats' weekly in-person caucus lunches back to a virtual setting.
He's tried to set definitive deadlines to instill urgency within the Senate before the summer recess ends meaningful legislative activity for the year.The main biggest priorities on both ends of Pennsylvania AvenueThe specific question is whether to bring back the talking filibuster, as well as creating a one-time carve-out to bypass the filibuster and pass Democrats' voting-rights package.
While Manchin said he's still talking with his colleagues, he isn't on board with a filibuster carve-out for voting rights — calling it "a heavy lift" — and isn't willing to go nuclear and eliminate the filibuster altogether.