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As if their delayed and shredded agenda wasn’t proof enough, Democrats have now received a devastating reminder of the perilous nature of life in a 50-50 Senate, especially with a Supreme Court appointment on the horizon.
When word surfaced on Tuesday that New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján had suffered a stroke last week, there was an immediate worry for a respected colleague, followed by relief among his colleagues that he was expected to recover well.
Luján, at 49, is one of the Senate’s young bucks, but his unexpected hospitalization, at least for the time being, deprives Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of a workable majority if he needs to convene a short-notice vote.
It also foreshadowed more catastrophic long-term consequences for Democrats if even one of their number became temporarily or permanently handicapped. Many people’s minds would have wandered to the vulnerability of the chamber’s fragile balance of power on Tuesday afternoon. This is especially important given that the Senate will shortly begin deliberations on President Joe Biden’s candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The renewed attention on the narrow margin of error available to Democrats in the confirmation process also highlighted why so many progressives were eager for Breyer to step down. They are frantic to confirm a liberal justice while their Senate majority is still in place in order to avoid further strengthening the current 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
Democrats feel they have a strong chance of securing at least a few Republican votes to confirm Biden’s yet-to-be-announced candidate, giving them some breathing room. However, given Washington’s sharp divisiveness, it’s not out of the question that tactical considerations may alter if political winds shift. To support the candidacy without Republican votes, they would need all 50 Democratic senators to vote in person.
Several of Luján’s coworkers also stated that he was anticipated to make a good recovery and be back with them shortly.
“I think what’s significant is that it’s incredibly simple for all of us in this profession to put this place first,” New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich remarked. “I’m hoping that Ben Ray would prioritize himself for the next two weeks.”
