Friday, Sept. 28, 2007: Thanks All Around but Defense Bill Will Wait 'til Monday

[13:00]
The Senate adjourned at 12:56. It will be back in session on Monday, Oct. 1 at 14:00 to resume consideration of the Defense Authorization Act FY 2008. I was under the impression that the Senate was going to take some votes today and perhaps knock out the Defense Authorization. My guess, though, is that the Senators are opposed to having any votes on Friday, especially the jet-set Presidential candidates. See you Monday!


[12:12]
Lots of thanks being traded around on the floor today. One senator starts speaking and then another one interrupts him merely to thank that senator "for his leadership on this issue." And then five minutes about how the senator has worked tirelessly on such and such an issue. Then, when those thanks are over, the interrupted senator takes five minutes to thank the senator who just thanked him. And then someone else interrupts and thanks both of the senators who are currently engaged in thanking each other and it's like, What are these people even talking about? What is the bill on the floor? Heck, I don't know, but I'd like to take a second to thank...

[10:52]
Edward Kennedy (MA) is talking about a couple of amendments to the Defense Authorization Act FY 2008. First, something about the U.S. taking a more active role in working with Iraq refugees. Then, something called the Fair Competition ___ Act, which strives to impact the government contracting process by prohibiting the gov't from taking into consideration benefits when awarding a contract to some private firm. Kennedy is arguing that there are times when two private firms offer the same basic bid on a service contract excluding benefits. But when the cost of benefits is added in, the gov't contract will go to the firm offering the fewest benefits, i.e. the lowest overall bid.

Precap:
The Senate will convene at 10:30 e.s.t. It will resume consideration of a bill prescribing spending in the Defense Dept. for FY 2008, a.k.a. H.R.1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The bill will pass. Basically, the Senate has to pass a Levin Substitute Amdt. to the bill. Then it has to pass the bill itself. So, two votes today at least. Yesterday, the Senate voted for cloture on the Defense Authorization 89-6 with five no votes. Nay votes: Collins (R-ME), Dodd (D-CT), Feingold (D-WI), Leahy (D-VT), Sanders (I-VT), & Voinovich (R-OH). The presidential candidates did not vote.