Senate Live - June 16, 2006

I expect a quiet day, no votes are scheduled. But the agenda has been set to debate the "amnesty for Iraqis" issue. First, a summary of action to date, with a few links.

S.2766 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007

Text of Amendments 4196 to 4208 June 12, 2006
Text of Amendments 4209 to 4220 June 13, 2006
Text of Amendments 4221 to 4252 June 14, 2006
Text of Amendments 4253 to 4291 June 15, 2006

Of the June 15 amendments, the ones not "ordered to lay on the table" were:

S.Amdt.4253 - Mr. DURBIN (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4256 - Mr. FEINGOLD (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4257 - Mr. BIDEN (passed on a 99-0 roll-call vote)
S.Amdt.4265 - Mr. NELSON (pending as of June 16)
S.Amdt.4269 - Mr. McCONNELL (tabled on a 93-6 roll call vote)
S.Amdt.4272 - Mr. McCONNELL (pending as of June 16)
S.Amdt.4278 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4279 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4280 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4281 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4282 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4283 - Mr. LEVIN (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4284 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4285 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4286 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)
S.Amdt.4287 - Mr. WARNER (passed on voice vote)

Action during June 14 debate

• The LAUTENBERG amendment (No. 4205), as modified, was agreed to on a voice vote (temporary prohibition of increase in prescription copay under pharmacy benefits program)
• The WARNER amendment (No. 4211) was agreed to on a voice vote (to name the CVN-78 aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Gerald Ford)
• The DOGRAN amendment (No. 4230), was
  PASSED on a 55 - 43 vote (extensive regulation of contracts relating to conduct of war)
• The McCAIN amendment (No. 4242) was
  PASSED on a 97 - 00 vote (to require the president to include funding to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in his budget)

Action during June 15 debate

• The DURBIN amendment (No. 4253) was
  PASSED on a voice vote
  (to encourage military nurses to pursue teaching nursing)
• The FEINGOLD amendment (No. 4256) was
  PASSED on a voice vote
  (to ensure that the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has jurisdiction over funds appropriated for the reconstruction of Iraq)
• The SANTORUM amendment (No. 4234) was
  REJECTED on a 45 - 54 vote
  (to authorize, with an offset, assistance for prodemocracy programs and activities inside and outside Iran, to make clear that the United States supports the ability of the people of Iran to exercise self-determination over their form of government, and to make enhancements to the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act of 1996)
• The BIDEN amendment (No. 4257) was
  PASSED on a 99 - 00 vote
  (to state the policy of the United States on the nuclear programs of Iran)
• The McCONNELL amendment (No. 4269) was
  TABLED on a 93 - 06 vote
  (to require the withdrawal of US troops (except those engaged in training the Iraqis) from Iraq by the end of 2006, and urge the convening of an Iraq summit)
  Voting against Tabling: Boxer, Byrd, Feingold, Harkin, Kennedy, and Kerry
• AMENDMENTS NOS. 4278, 4279, 4280, 4200, 4201, 4198, 4281, 4282, 4283, 4284, 4252, AS MODIFIED; 4225, 4218, 4285, 4286, 4199, AS MODIFIED; AND 4287 were
  PASSED en bloc, on a voice vote

The pending business is the McCONNELL amendment (No. 4272) (Purpose: To commend the Iraqi Government for affirming its positions of no amnesty for terrorists who have attacked U.S. forces) vs. the NELSON amendment (No. 4265) (Purpose: To express the sense of Congress that the Government of Iraq should not grant amnesty to persons known to have attacked, killed, or wounded members of the Armed Forces of the United States)

This duel is not going to be consummated today, according to the following comment by Senator Warner, made just before the McConnell amendment was brought to the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator McConnell now be recognized, that the pending amendments be set aside, and that Senator McConnell then offer an amendment which is relevant to the Nelson amendment; provided further that if and when the McConnell and Nelson amendments are scheduled for votes--that would be sometime next week--the McConnell amendment would be voted on first.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? ...

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

And with that, the current language of the dueling amendments is as follows, McConnell's first.

(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the new Government of Iraq is commended for its statement by the National Security Adviser of Iraq on June 15, 2006 that--
(1) thanked ``the American wives and American women and American mothers for the treasure and the blood they have invested in this country ..... of liberating 30 million people in this country ..... And we are ever so grateful.'' and
(2) that affirmed their position that they ``will never give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers or killed Iraqi soldiers or civilians''.

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(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of Iraq should not grant amnesty to persons known to have attacked, killed, or wounded members of the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) the President should immediately notify the Government of Iraq that the Government of the United States strongly opposes granting amnesty to persons who have attacked members of the Armed Forces of the United States.

I expect, besides debate on the amnesty for Iraqis issue, that additional amendments will be offered during the course of business today.