Scott Brown is scheduled to sworn in today, becoming Massachusetts first Republican Senator in over 30 years and shaking the balance of power in Washington…
By Militza Richard
Republican Scott Brown will take over the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat today, a week earlier than originally planned, giving Republicans their 41st vote in the Senate and ending the Democrat’s supermajority.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick certified Brown’s January 19 special election this morning, signing Brown’s election certificate in the council's presence as required by law. Brown is scheduled to be sworn in at 5 p.m. at the Capital.
Brown, who will serve the remainder of Kennedy’s term which lasts through 2012, is the first Republican Senator from Massachusetts in over thirty years. The last was Senator Edward Brooke who left office at the beginning of 1979.
However, while Brown’s election is historically noteworthy, its real importance stems from the fact that Brown’s vote gives the GOP the numbers they need to support a filibuster. This was a devastating blow to Senate Democrats, who lost their 60 vote supermajority just as the Obama-supported healthcare overhaul was nearing completion.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev, has worked tirelessly over the past year to insure that healthcare legislation received the votes required, passing legislation four times with the bare minimum 60 votes. With Brown’s addition to the Senate, Reid no longer has that guaranteed 60th vote and healthcare reform could be finished.
Brown’s vote could also make a difference in the potential appointment of Craig Becker, leader of the Service Employees International Union, as a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Republicans have delayed Becker's confirmation for months, arguing that he could use the appointment to make labor laws more union-friendly without the approval of Congress.
A Senate panel is expected to send his nomination to the full Senate, requiring Democrats to secure the 60 vote supermajority to overcome the GOP and confirm the nomination. If Brown takes office early, he can help the GOP block the nomination.
Edited by Kevin Doyle