Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Senate Live - April 26, 2006

The Senators are picking between two measures that increase border security funding: S.Amdt.3594, the Gregg amendment, and S.Amdt.3604, the Reid amendment. Both are discussed here in the Congressional Record.

Basically, the Reid amendment adds new spending, and Gregg's shifts money from elsewhere in defense and security spending. This has the curious effect of making the DEM speakers into defense hawks. I expect the Gregg amendment will pass, and the Reid amendment will fail.


UPDATE: Gregg amendment passes on roll call vote of 59 - 39. The Senate is now voting on the Reid amendment, which is apt to either be a mirror image (39 - 59 rejection) or a blowout, seeing as how it is nonsense to pass Reid in light of passage of Gregg.
UPDATE: Reid amendment rejected 44 - 54, and is under a motion to reconsider. Seems the Gregg amendment is making a bit of a media splash already. See Senate Shifts Iraq Funds to Borders, Ports and similar media stories, published within minutes of the vote on the Gregg amendment being concluded.
UPDATE: Thomas amendment, S.Amdt. 3615 was tabled on a 72 - 26 vote.
UPDATE: Senator Coburn's S.Amdt.3641 removing the 700 million dollar earmark for moving the CSX rail line. He says it is not an emergency, and that it is the sort of "local only" earmark that should not be passed.
UPDATE: Senator Akaka's S.Amdt.3642 allocating 430 million dollars for Veteran's mental health needs, and eradication of waiting lists for veterans.
UPDATE: Senator Ensign Motion to recommit, and now a motion to table the motion to recommit. Ensign wants to send the entire supplemental appropriations bill back to committee with instructions to bring it back with a total within the amount President Bush agreed to. Roll call vote on motion to table is underway now. Looks like the motion will be tabled by a wide margin. Only a few willing to vote on the motion to recommit, Sessions being one of them, Feingold another. Politics indeed makes strange bedfellows.
UPDATE: I missed some action, but see Coburn now up, railing (get it?) that the CSX rail move is by no means an emergency. Motion to table the Coburn amendment is being subjected to a voice vote.

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