(DailyDig.com) – On December 5, Kamala Harris, Vice President, broke the record of former Vice President John C. Calhoun (1825–1832) with her 32nd vote to break a tie in the Senate.
Democrat Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave a statement praising Harris’s record-setting performance, saying it was noteworthy for more than simply the number of votes she cast. He was referring to her support for two massive bills, one dealing with climate policy, taxes, and healthcare, and the other with COVID-19 assistance. When it came time to nominate judges, she also broke ties.
Schumer handed her a golden gavel as a token of the event. When she cast her ballot in July 2023, she equaled the previous record set by Calhoun. More people of color and women have been confirmed to the bench, which he also attributed to Harris.
During Harris’s time as VP, the Senate had razor-thin majorities, 50-50 in the previous term and 51-49 in the current one. More often than not, confirmation votes for presidential candidates end in a tight vote since Harry Reid, the former Democrat leader of the Senate, removed the filibuster from most of those nominations in 2013.
According to a statement from an official at the White House, the Vice President’s vote to break a tie has been crucial in advancing the Biden-Harris vision for the first three years of their term. With the tie-breaking votes, the American people have received economic assistance for small companies nationwide, local communities have seen the creation of good-paying jobs, and expenses have been lowered for American families, according to the Biden administration.
The historic vote was to advance Loren AliKhan’s candidacy for the position of US District Court judge for the District of Columbia. Among those who spoke out against the nomination was Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Harris will most likely need to cast the deciding vote to affirm AliKhan if the current level of attendance persists.
The vice president is technically the Senate president under U.S. law, although they may only vote in the event of a tie.
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