Senate Republicans Block $625B Defense Bill Over Democratic Tactic Limiting Amendments

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans have blocked a vote on a $625 billion defense bill after Democrats tried to limit amendments.

The vote was 51-44, nine short of the necessary votes to move ahead. The vote leaves the measure setting military pay and policy in limbo with a few legislative days remaining for the Senate to act and reconcile its version with the House.

Republicans had pressed for votes on amendments dealing with Iran, Egypt and other issues, arguing that a measure authorizing more than $600 billion for personnel, weapons, ships and aircraft deserved extensive deliberations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had pushed to wrap up the bill before the Senate's two-week Thanksgiving break.



Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/232898011.html

[Shrike47]

1. Sit tight, Dems. They want to fund the military more than we do.

[earthside]

2. What morons!

Doesn't this kind of petulant behavior -- especially using the military and national defense -- just prove how obstructionist and irresponsible they are? Doesn't this prove absolutely why the nominee filibuster rule had to be broken earlier today?

Again ... what a bunch of morons.

[azurnoir]

3. I'd say they were clowns

but they aren't funny but still I wonder how many Repubs one could pack into a tiny little car ?

[erronis]

8. With one of those garbage truck compactors?

Probably the whole shitload of republicans, given that most of them are composed of flatulence.

Beep, beep - backin' up. <scrunch> Oh, what a nice little wad.

[Lebam in LA]

4. I get 2 days for Thanksgiving and they

get 2 weeks!

[Turbineguy]

5. We give our enemies

more time off.

[Dopers_Greed]

6. +100000

These assholes should be required to work the schedules of most of the country:

Monday through Friday, year-round, excluding only major Holidays. And minimal sick and vacation time.

[SkatmanRoth]

13. Congress should be required to work until they complete their tasks

Operating the Government is the primary job of Congress.

Writing a budget, passing appropriation bills, and securing funding for Government operations is their job. They should stay on the job until they complete their job. If they cannot get home to run their reelection campaigns, then maybe they don't need to be reelected.

[Mike Daniels]

19. Proof why Congressional service should be one term maximum

If you're not worried about being re-elected you don't need to be flying home every weekend to fundraise and glad-hand donors.

Instead you can stay in DC, focus on your job of governing the country and fly your family in or fly out to see them as needed.

[Mass]

7. Two weeks Thanksgiving break? Come on. Still the filibuster is wrong.

They should have found a reasonable number of amendments to vote on, not 300 as the GOP wanted. This is an important bill.

[okaawhatever]

14. It's not just the number, it's the content. The Iran amendment would effectively tank Obama's

foreign policy and Kerry's negotiating ability. They want to place an additional round of sanctions on Iran to defeat Kerry's efforts. That is because the Israel lobby is pushing the Republicans hard. it's not in the best interest of the United States to do that right now, but the Republicans don't care, they can't miss out on the campaign money. They did the same thing with Obama and Putin when they put language in one of the bills that chastised Russia's human rights record (like the gop cares about human rights) and did something else to derail the talks.
The Republicans are serious about keeping the foreign policy of Bush, and don't care if America loses out.

[Mass]

15. This is why it should be voted upon. This is a serious question and

Congress should take part in the discussion.

Now, if Democrats's heart is to let Obama and Kerry negotiate, this amendment would not pass. Of course, I am not that certain that the problem is not actually on both sides of the aisle, but this does not mean Congress should not vote on our foreign policy. It is its role.

Same thing for the Afghanistan policy. If we are to stay 10 more years there, Congress should be consulted. And the House voted on it, and, with the exception of a couple Dems and the House GOP leadership, they voted NO (actually interesting that Cantor voted to give MORE power to Obama on this case given he is always whining that the House is ignored -- whose fault is it? --).

[okaawhatever]

16. If they want to debate sanctioning Iran than they can do that. They don't. They want to derail what

Obama and Kerry are doing without having to defend their position. If it were that important to them, they'd put a bill before Congress and be making the rounds on the talk show circut. They are trying to hold another funding bill hostage to do what is unpopular and doesn't have voter support. They also don't want to go on record with their position.
Not allowing them to throw all this bullcrap in ust to keep the military running is what's best for this country. If Congress wants to sanction iran they need to put that before the people and explain themselves. This is republican/tea party 101. Get your way by holding the basic functions of government hostage.

[karynnj]

17. Reid has already promised a vote on increased sanctions after the Thanksgiving break

At the risk of being wrong, I suspect that left this way - as a vote with significant bipartisan support that could pass - MIGHT be good for Kerry negotiating. It gives him a threat that he personally is not connected to, but which he can credibly say is likely to happen.

Having the vote pass, before negotiations, could kill them. Not having a vote on this when there may well be majority support (AIPAC is nothing if not convincing to Senators and Congressmen.) would be undemocratic.

My thoughts on this were partly after reading how it looked in this Al Jeezira article. http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/11/iran-nuclear-talks-resume-amid-differences-2013112114574745183.html

[Major Hogwash]

9. The Rethuglicans are putting this country in danger.

What do you have to say to that now, Dick Cheney?

[groundloop]

10. Those weak-on-defense pansies voted to let the gol-darned commies attack us

HA, that's the stupidest thing they could have possibly done. I'm certain that vote will come back to haunt every single GOPer up for reelection who voted against it.

[kiranon]

11. Agree. Democrats need to expose Republicans as weak on

defense and not true believers in supporting the troops. They are nothing but fake patriots and it's time everyone knew it.

[davidpdx]

12. Send it back to the committee and cut more

Then back to the floor with the message: Do you want to go again?

[Myrina]

18. ^^ this ^^

n/t

[BlueToTheBone]

20. Then don't let them leave. n/t