GOP threatens to stall Senate action

By: Manu Raju
December 1, 2010 09:33 AM EST

Senate Republicans are vowing to block all legislative business until Democrats hold votes on bills to extend the Bush-era tax cuts and keep the government funded through the new year.

In a letter signed by all 42 Republicans, Republicans warn they will filibuster any attempt to bring forward any bill besides those two measures. That could further complicate Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's desire to complete a laundry list of other bills in the final weeks of the 111th Congress.

Citing the nation's high unemployment rate and the desire to "focus on creating an environment for private-sector job growth" Republicans are telling Reid "that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers.

"With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities," the letter said. "While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike."

The move was discussed by GOP leaders in a Monday evening meeting, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged his colleagues to sign the letter at a Tuesday lunch. If Republicans all agree to this maneuver, it’ll prevent the Senate from reaching the 60 votes needed to kill a GOP filibuster and advance legislation.

That could imperil a 9/11 first responders bill, an immigration measure known as the DREAM Act, the ratification of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia and a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tellâ€