Monday, Feb. 25, 2008: Cloture vote success paves way for passage of Indian health care bill

Senate aims to finish Indian health care bill tomorrow

The Senate has adjourned for the day. It will convene at 10:00 tomorrow to resume consideration of S. 1200, the Indian health care bill.

CSPAN2 unveils new camera angle for Senate coverage

[18:52]
As senators Jack Reed (RI) and Ron Wyden (OR) engaged in a health care colloquy, C-SPAN2 broke out a new camera angle to cover the exchange. Viewers looked down on the senators from the Senate gallery, almost from behind. It was sort of a bird's eye view. This is the only camera angle I can recall that did not portray the coverage of senators as thought the viewer sat at the front of the chamber. The quorum call vantage point, of course, is set at the rear of the room.

Cloture vote on Indian health care improvements act

[17:51]
Senators are wrapping up a vote for cloture on the Indian health care legislation they have been working on since the beginning of the year. This cloture vote will succeed, cutting off further debate and clearing the way for passage of the bill.

There might be a vote or two on amendments post-cloture. Otherwise, senators should be able to pass this bill tonight or tomorrow.

Vote result and notes:

• Cloture motion agreed to, 84-2.

• DeMint voted against cloture. He was hoping to get a vote on his Semper Fi Act (see below). This amendment was just knocked down post-cloture because Dorgan made a point of order that it was not germane. That point of order was sustained, the amendment dies.

DeMint attempts to get Berkeley, CA funds rescinded

[17:44]
There is an ongoing flap surrounding actions taking by the city council of the city of Berkeley, CA and a marine recruiting station in that city.

Code Pink, an activist organization, had been protesting the Iraq War among other things outside this Marine Corps recruiting station in Berkeley. In apparent support of this protest, the city council voted to give Code Pink a free parking spot in front of the recruiting station and it voted to issue Code Pink protesters a permit to use a megaphone as part of their protest at the station.

Senator Jim DeMint (SC) said that the purpose of the megaphone is so that Code Pink members can "shout down" any potential recruit at the Marine Corps recruiting station. In response the actions of the Berkeley city council DeMint has been attempting to get a vote on language that would rescind FY 2008 federal funds targeted for the city of Berkeley. He calls his bill the Semper Fi act.

He spoke on the floor this afternoon to say that he has not gotten the chance to introduce the legislation as an amendment on several bills that have come through the Senate recently, including the current Indian Health Care Act.

I did hear Barbara Boxer (CA) speak in opposition to DeMint's legislation earlier this month.

DeMint says right up front that he respects the Code Pink protest, referring to the First Amendment right to protest things like the Iraq war. But it goes beyond the First Amendment when the city council grants strategically free parking spaces and grants permits for megaphone usage. He says that at that point the First Amendment right of the Marines to recruit in Berkeley is being infringed.

Precap:

The Senate will convene at 15:00 and immediately proceed to the reading of Washington's farewell address. Mark Pryor (AR) has the honor.

Following the reading, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

At 17:30, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment to the bill.