September 25, 2007: Iran and S-CHIP

[18:21]
Unclear whether there will be any votes tonight. The next two votes will be on: (1) a Kyl/Lieberman Amendment to the Defense Authorization bill, in the form of a resolution, declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to be a terrorist organization; and, (2) a Biden et al. Amendment, also in the form of a resolution, urging that the federalism guidelines laid out in the Iraqi Constitution be put into effect, namely some sort of division of Iraq into Shia, Sunni, and Kurdi federal regions, overlaid by a weak federal government. There is opposition to both Amendments, and the Senators are currently trying to arrive at acceptable language on each.


[15:01]
Kennedy goes on to speak in support of a "Hate Crimes" amendment he is offering. The bill is named after Matthew Shepard, who was killed because of his sexual persuasion. The bill aims to make hate crimes more easy to prosecute federally, including crimes targeting homosexuals (which is not currently the case, apparently).

The house has passed the bill. The same legislation has passed both houses in the past, only to be stripped out in conference. Bush has threatened to veto this legislation; however, if it is successfully attached to the Defense Authorization bill, Bush would have to veto the entire bill to get rid of the Hate Crimes amendment. I would be interested to hear someone speak in opposition to the Amendment because Kennedy was not real clear on what his legislation does.

[14:52]
Edward Kennedy (MA) is presenting on behalf of the S-CHIP program that Congress appears willing to pass in bipartisan fashion. This is the State Children's Health Insurance Program. President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation because its cost to the federal government will increase under this renewal.

Congress plans to pay for any increased cost by raising cigarette taxes. Bush appears to be the only player opposed to the legislation. State governors love it because the States get money; Congressmen love it because they are bringing home money and helping kids. The House appears ready to pass it today. It would come to the Senate shortly thereafter for passage in advance of the October 1 recess. The bill costs $7b/year, benefiting as many as 4m children, according to Sherrod Brown (OH).


[13:02]
The Senate is at lunch....


[10:57]
Sam Brownback (KS, Pres. Candidate). Thinks the Ahmadinejad appearance at Columbia U. was disgraceful. Also, it appears that Brownback is a co-sponsor of the Biden resolution voicing support for a partitioning of Iraq along Sunni/Shia/Kurd lines. Brownback refers to it as a federalist plan for Iraq—erecting powerful "states" within the umbrella of a weak(er) federal government. Brownback lists the reasons to consider Iran a threat: holocaust denial, association w/ Hezbollah, supply of weapons to terrorists in Iraq. He supports the resolution labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.


[10:50]
Sherrod Brown (OH). Can't believe the President would veto the S-CHIP bill that Congress is poised to pass (see below). Brown is big on trade policy. He is questioning U.S. trade policy w/ China. They are selling us unsafe products, he says. He says that Mattel and the rest of them can't be surprised by lead paint because companies like Mattel keep pushing for China to cut costs. Our trade policy invites these problems, says Brown, instead of preventing them. Brown warns against upcoming "free trade" treaties with Peru, Panama, South Korea, etc. Seafood could be a big part of these agreements. The FDA has found contaminated seafood from Peru and Panama but under the proposed "free trade" agreements, inspection of seafood from these countries would be reduced AND would be conducted, in part, by foreign inspectors. Yikes.


[10:28]
Judd Gregg (NH). Gregg is an alumnus of Columbia U. He is wondering why Columbia U. allowed/invited Iranian President Ahmadinejad to speak yesterday on campus. Gregg says that Columbia never would have invited Donald Rumsfeld, or George W. Bush, and certainly not Dick Cheney. So why Ahmadinejad? He is in charge of a government that is sending arms to Iraq for the purpose of killing American soldiers.

The Senate Republicans are launching a full frontal on Iran in light of Ahmadinejad's U.S. and Columbia U. visit.

Gregg continues. The Columbia U. president (Lee Bollinger, a First Amendment scholar btw) exhibited poor taste when he gave Ahmadinejad a forum but then proceeded to lambaste Ahmadinejad, almost making Ahmadinejad look like the good guy. I was embarassed, says Gregg. It would have been much more effective to allow Ahmadinejad indict himself, which he did. It was not a good day for Columbia, imho. Not the behavior of an elite university.

And, here you go, "conservative thought would not have given Ahmadinejad such a forum." Why, why did Columbia pursue this course? He yields the floor.


[10:22]
Lindsay Graham (SC).  We are in a proxy war with Iran.  Kyl's resolution (below) should be easy to pass.

Biden (DE) has a resolution expressing that it is the sense of the Senate that Iraq should undergo a partitioning based on ethincity/geography.  Graham is skeptical that all of a sudden a partition along Shia/Sunni/Kurd lines will bring peace to Iraq.


[10:15]
Jon Kyl (AZ) introduced a resolution designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.  Kyl said that the Revolutionary Guard is responsible for smuggling arms into Iraq for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers.