GOP threaten to SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT if MAD DOG is not rammed through as Sec of Defense without hearings.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/6/1608000/-Republicans-threatening-to-shut-down-government-to-ram-through-Trump-s-defense-secretary-nomination?detail=email&link_id=10&can_id=626e66a269d15190e2bba2bb5e01ff6e&source=email-with-biden-in-the-chair-on-jan-3-the-senate-can-confirm-a-renominated-merrick-garland-heres-how&email_referrer=with-biden-in-the-chair-on-jan-3-the-senate-can-confirm-a-renominated-merrick-garland-heres-how___139847&email_subject=republican-elector-in-texas-comes-out-to-explain-why-he-will-not-cast-his-vote-for-trump

Donald Trump says he’ll nominate retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as his secretary of defense, but as we’ve explained previously, there’s a huge problem with this proposal: A 70-year-old federal law forbids anyone who has served on active duty in the armed forces in the last seven years from holding a senior defense post. This rule is crucial for maintaining civilian control of the military, and Mattis is thus ineligible, since he only retired three years ago.

But Republicans in Congress are, of course, only too happy to let the Trump steamroller mash them to bits and are eager to amend the law so that Mattis can become defense secretary. This custom “waiver” would have to pass both houses of Congress, and Democrats, led by New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, have promised to filibuster it.

So how has the GOP responded? Once again, they’re threatening to shut down the government. Because the modern Republican Party is too dysfunctional to pass a proper budget, the only way the federal government gets funded these days is through a series of short-term “continuing resolutions” that give the GOP frequent opportunities to throw damaging tantrums.

Indeed, the next such continuing resolution has to be passed by Friday, or else government operations will literally run out of money—and Republicans are suggesting that they might attach this special Mattis amendment to their new funding resolution. In other words, if they don’t get their way on Mattis, they’ll shut down the government.

Fortunately, Democrats are rallying against such a move. The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, has warned the GOP against pulling this dangerous stunt, while Sen. Dick Durbin, the number two Democrat in the Senate, put Republicans on notice that “there are some provisions that can stop it”—the continuing resolution—“from being passed” and bluntly told them: “Fix them.”

Democrats have to stand strong and not let Republicans ransack the rule of law and undermine the sacred doctrine of civilian control over the military. If the GOP wants to threaten to close down the federal government to pass extraordinary pieces of legislation without debate, then that’s going to be on them—and they’ll get to pay the price for it.

Call your senators urge them to support Sen. Gillibrand’s filibuster of the Mattis waiver.