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With 50-50 Split, Senate Leaders Debate on Legislation Voting

The Senate now has a 50-50 split, but with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties, Democrats have control.
Posted at 7:23 PM, Jan 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-22 19:23:01-05

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are still at odds about how to work in a split chamber.

The Senate now has a 50-50 split, but with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties, Democrats have control. 

But here's where things get tricky — Harris won't be there every day.

So Schumer and McConnell still need to figure out a plan to decide which legislation reaches the floor.

McConnell wants Schumer to protect a rule that requires 60 votes to advance legislation, but Schumer hasn't committed to that.

That leaves leaving the door open for Democrats to pass some parts of their agenda by a simple majority.