March 13, 2007: Roll Call Votes for Amendments to 9/11 Commission Recommendations Bill

Senate will convene at 10:00 e.d.t. in order to consider a Reid resolution, S.J.Res.9, to revise United States policy on Iraq.  This will be another test of the sixty votes needed to proceed.

Earlier, the Senate passed the September 11th Commission Recommendations bill late this afternoon by a 60-38 margin.  All Democrats voted in favor of the legislation.  They were joined by Republicans Collins (ME), Snowe (ME), Smith (OR), Voinovich (OH), Stevens (AK), Specter (PA), Bond (MO), Dole (NC), and Murkowski (AK).

Prior to the vote on the bill's final passage, senators tabled three amendments via voice vote.  The last one, a Biden (DE) amendment, would have ensured that toxic waste freight shipments coursed through rural areas.  It was opposed by states with more rural areas, falling 73-25.

The most interesting vote of the day concerned a Coburn Amendment seeking to subject the Department of Homeland Security to the 2002 Improper Payments Act.  It was a mixed vote, tabling the amendment 73-25.  What is fascinating about it are the Democrats that joined Republicans: Feingold (WI), McCaskill (MO), Tester (MT), Brown (OH), Nelson (FL), and Webb (VA).  Note the freshman Dem senators joining Republicans on this amendment aimed at cutting government wasteful spending.


[15:17]
The Senate is back from lunch and will vote on at least one more amendment this afternoon.  Chuck Schumer (NY) spoke about the Justice Department's firing of several U.S. attorneys earlier this year, firings which it now appears were politically motivated.  He reiterated the Senate's interest in the matter and concluded by saying that he would not let the issue die.  Schumer, Feinstein (CA), Leahy (VT), and Specter (PA) have all voiced dismay about the firings.

In addition to a Biden (DE) amendment prescribing rural routes for truck shipments of toxic waste, there are one or two Schumer amendments to the bill that haven't been processed (slated for a voice vote or added to the en bloc "manager's amendment").  So the Senate is in quorum call at the moment until all the backroom wrangling for the bill is finally completed.


[12:34]
The Senate has recessed until 14:15 e.d.t.  When it returns, the Senate will vote on the remaining germane amendments to the bill.  Then it will vote on final passage.  There is still a hang-up, though, with the package of amendments slated to be passed with a simple voice vote (i.e. unanimous consent).  One senator is still objecting to the package.

And it sounds like the Senate will debate some Iraq resolutions as soon as tomorrow.


[12:10]
The Coburn Amendment to sunset the bill has been tabled, with 60 ayes.

Now a vote on a second Coburn Amendment, which would subject DHS to the Improper Payments Act.  Coburn says that it would send a message to all gov't agencies that they too do not have to comply with the act.  Detractors say it will cut off some funding to DHS.  Coburn says, no, not for 18 months.  There was another version of this amendment, a second-degree amendment, but because the bill is in a post-cloture phase, that amendment can't now be considered.  It sounds like that second-degree amendment would have passed; this one won't.

Lots of senators milling around on the floor.


[11:48]
Right now the Senate is in the midst of a vote on the first of two Coburn amendments that will receive a voice vote.  The first amendment would sunset the bill in 2013 (repeal it automatically unless Congress votes to renew it).  The second bill would subject the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the 2002 Improper Payments Act.  Senators Carper (DE) and Collins (ME) either expressed support for "the right idea" or expressed "sympathy" for what the amendment was trying to do, yet both said that the amendment wasn't quite right and that they would vote against it.  Coburn said that the bill would cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money within the department; most other federal agencies are subject to the Improper Payments Act.  This first vote is on a motion to table the sunset amendment, so a yes vote is a vote to kill the amendment.  So far, it sounds party line except for Leahy (VT) voting against tabling and Specter (PA) voting for it.


Earlier:

Sherrod Brown (OH) spoke in favor of reworking the country's trade policy to make it more "fair" less "free".

Charles Grassley (IA) talked about the "tax gap."  This is money that taxpayers, whether human or corporate, owe to the government but don't pay (illegally).  He talked about how the tax gap was "like the weather" because everyone talked about it but no one tried to do anything about it.  And I'm thinking, What CAN anyone do about the weather.  Grassley was wearing this awful tie.  Then he was talkign about how the tax gap was like the "exilirs" that they tried to sell you in the Old West.  He meant to say "elixirs."  "Exilirs" is not a word.  Grassley is really starting to grate on me.  I muted the TV after a point.  I saw Susan Collins (ME) on the screen, turned the volume back up, and Grassley was griping about having his speech cut off saying something like "I wish people would get things straight around here; If I'm told I can come down and make my speech, I wanna be able to make my speech; If there wasn't enough time I could have waited."  Good old Chuckie G.  Collins must have objected to his request for a couple add'l minutes to finish his speech on the tax gap and magic exilirs.