Democrats could face culture shock
If the Senate goes Republican on Tuesday, a majority of Democrats will get their first taste of life in the minority.
Only 17 Democrats who could serve in the next Senate were in office eight years ago, the last time the GOP held the levers of power.
"It will be a shock for Democrats to move into the minority," said Jim Manley, a former spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
The indignities of serving under the opposing party are legion.
The first blow is the loss of committee chairmanships, which senators use to draft legislation, conduct oversight and draw attention to pet causes.
Democrats would be demoted to the ranking members of committees and forced to downsize by letting go of staffers who arent wanted on the new majoritys payroll.
Perhaps worst of all, some Democrats would have to pack up their things as Republicans dole out the spoils of office space.
Thats a major issue for many senior members, said Bill Hoagland, a former Republican budget staffer and now senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Still, its better to be in the minority in the Senate than in House, where the floor is tightly controlled and rank-and-file members can often do little more than raise their voice in protest during floor speeches.
The Senate, in contrast, runs on consensus, giving individual senators the power to hold up legislation, block nominees, and occasionally hold up business with an old-fashioned talking filibuster.
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Democrats could face culture shock