The Constitution states that the vice president is also president of the Senate and has the power to break ties, which has happened with some regularity over the past year and a half, given the 50-50 composition of the upper chamber. Harris has already set more tiebreakers than almost any other vice president except John Adams and Calhoun, who served from 1825 to 1832. Calhoun held the tie-breaking record of 31 votes from serving as vice president under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. John Adams, who served as vice president for nearly eight years under George Washington, had 29 tiebreakers. Harris, however, has thrown more tiebreakers than either Adams or Calhoun over the respective periods of their vice-presidencies. She has primarily severed her ties to confirm President Biden’s nominees, although she has also appeared in the Senate for other 50-50 splits, such as when she voted to open debate on the US Bailout. Harris’ role as a tiebreaker came to the fore again on Sunday, when she broke a tie to advance a long-awaited $740 billion bill that includes provisions to raise corporate taxes, address climate change, lower prescription drug costs and reducing the federal deficit. Her vote was met with applause from the room. Passage of the bill in the Senate first required the support of all 50 Democrats since all Republicans were united in opposition. The Biden administration and Senate Democratic leadership had hoped to pass a larger reconciliation package last year, called Build Back Better, but the bill was doomed after Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) refused to support the package. Manchin has been negotiating behind closed doors for the past few months on the limited reconciliation package, which passed the Senate on Sunday after winning the support of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) this week, the last Democratic advantage. The reconciliation package now heads to the House for consideration. Winners and losers from Democrats’ tax, health care and climate change bills Watchdog sounds alarm over Ukrainian nuclear plant bombing How often Harris casts the deciding vote for the rest of Biden’s term will depend largely on the outcome of this year’s Senate midterm elections. Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has predicted a close race for the Senate majority. “I think it will be very tight. We have a 50-50 nation. And I think when that Senate smoke clears, we’re likely to have a very, very close Senate, with us slightly up or the Democrats up slightly,” McConnell said Wednesday on Fox New’s “Special Report.”
