And the Results are in!
The US Senate acted on all three critical issues I delineated in my Blog earlier today: (See Important Day in History)
The Budget Reconciliation Act was modified slightly, still leaving the most drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, student loan programs and the like. The final vote was 51 yea- 50 nay, with Vice President Cheney casting the tie breaking vote. The bill now has to go back to the House to be voted upon as modified. All 44 Democrats voted against the bill as did the 1 independent Senator and 5 Republican Senators, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Of them, Chafee, DeWine and Snowe are seeking re-election next year.
The Defense Appropriations Bill was blocked by a filibuster (defeat of vote for cloture-end of debate). The vote was 56 - 44 (a super majority of 60 needed to succeed).3 Republicans voted against cloture and 2 Democrats voted for cloture. The issue was the last minute inclusion in the conference report of the ANWR Drilling provision supported by Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. It took 11 hours of negotiation and it was finally decided to open up the vote to an amendment to the conference report to remove the ANWR provision. The vote to remove ANWR was 48 yea, 46 nay. With ANWR gone the Defense Appropriations Bill passed 98 - 0.
In the meantime the Patriot Act was undergoing negotiation. The conference report did not include all of the changes to the 16 expiring provisions that both the House and The Senate had previously approved and so it was filibustered by a cloture vote that fell far short of the required 60 votes, 52 - 47, on Friday 12/16. The Democrats offered to extend the existing Patriot Act for 3 months so that there would be time to work out the differences but the Republicans, especially Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist and President Bush, said no way. The eventual compromise solution was to extend the current Patriot Act for 6 months. They now have until 6/30 to work out the details of the changes.The extension was approved by a voice vote.This bill also has to go back to the House for a vote.
All in all it was a pretty good day for democracy. The President's weakened position is evident and is affecting his ability to control congress. One party government may be in decline. As the mid-term elections approach, the more moderate Republicans who are up for reelection are being more reasonable in their voting. Independent thought may be returning to government. It's a good thing.
And the trick that the Republicans have pulled now once too often of holding up until the last minute to include onerous
provisions in must have legislation and then having the House adjourn telling the Senate it's as we have declared or nothing, wont work anymore. The House will now have to reconvene to agree with the just passed Senate modifications.
The Budget Reconciliation Act was modified slightly, still leaving the most drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, student loan programs and the like. The final vote was 51 yea- 50 nay, with Vice President Cheney casting the tie breaking vote. The bill now has to go back to the House to be voted upon as modified. All 44 Democrats voted against the bill as did the 1 independent Senator and 5 Republican Senators, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Of them, Chafee, DeWine and Snowe are seeking re-election next year.
The Defense Appropriations Bill was blocked by a filibuster (defeat of vote for cloture-end of debate). The vote was 56 - 44 (a super majority of 60 needed to succeed).3 Republicans voted against cloture and 2 Democrats voted for cloture. The issue was the last minute inclusion in the conference report of the ANWR Drilling provision supported by Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. It took 11 hours of negotiation and it was finally decided to open up the vote to an amendment to the conference report to remove the ANWR provision. The vote to remove ANWR was 48 yea, 46 nay. With ANWR gone the Defense Appropriations Bill passed 98 - 0.
In the meantime the Patriot Act was undergoing negotiation. The conference report did not include all of the changes to the 16 expiring provisions that both the House and The Senate had previously approved and so it was filibustered by a cloture vote that fell far short of the required 60 votes, 52 - 47, on Friday 12/16. The Democrats offered to extend the existing Patriot Act for 3 months so that there would be time to work out the differences but the Republicans, especially Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist and President Bush, said no way. The eventual compromise solution was to extend the current Patriot Act for 6 months. They now have until 6/30 to work out the details of the changes.The extension was approved by a voice vote.This bill also has to go back to the House for a vote.
All in all it was a pretty good day for democracy. The President's weakened position is evident and is affecting his ability to control congress. One party government may be in decline. As the mid-term elections approach, the more moderate Republicans who are up for reelection are being more reasonable in their voting. Independent thought may be returning to government. It's a good thing.
And the trick that the Republicans have pulled now once too often of holding up until the last minute to include onerous
provisions in must have legislation and then having the House adjourn telling the Senate it's as we have declared or nothing, wont work anymore. The House will now have to reconvene to agree with the just passed Senate modifications.
-- Michael My Blog: http://myweb-blog.blogspot.com "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." ~H. L. Mencken
posted by Michael | 11:43 PM
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