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Friday, September 21, 2007
NM Senators' Votes on Key Iraq Amendments
I thought I'd summarize the votes made by New Mexico's Senate delegation on the flurry of amendments to the war funding supplemental yesterday and today so everyone can be clear on where our Senators stand on the issues.
Cornyn Amendment: Passed 72-25-3
Condemning MoveOn Petraeus ad
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Nay
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Yea
Boxer Amendment: Failed 50-27-3 (Needed 60 to Pass)
Condemning MoveOn Petraeus ad, criticism of Kerry, Cleland and all in uniform
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Yea
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Nay
Webb-Hegel Amendment: Failed 56-44 (Needed 60 to Pass)
Extend troop leave time between deployments:
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Yea
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Nay
Feingold-Reid Amendment: Failed 28-70-2
Start troop withdrawals within 90 days, end by June 30, 2008 when funding cut off
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Nay
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Nay
Levin-Reed Amendment: Failed 47-47-6
Start troop withdrawals within 9 months
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Yea
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Did Not Vote
Cloture on Restoration of Habeas Corpus: Failed 56-43-1 (Needed 60 to Pass)
Bring Spector habeas corpus amendment to the floor for vote
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman - Yea
- Sen. Pete Domenici - Nay
September 21, 2007 at 10:09 AM in Iraq War | Permalink
Comments
I still do not know how a vote of 56 in support is not passing. When did the majority turn to 50 plus 10??? How is the number 60 now the number of votes to pass?? Maybe next week it will be 80?
What the heck is going on here?
Posted by: mary ellen | Sep 21, 2007 10:32:43 AM
Dear Mary Ellen,
60 vote is required to defeat a veto from President Bush. If a bill cannot get by that idiot it is defeated. What's more, 6 votes is not arbitrary. It is the law of the land.
We need to get more Dems in the Senate and replace Joe Lieberman. Until that happens or we get a Dem president with the courage, the war machine rages on.
Posted by: qofdisks | Sep 21, 2007 9:55:56 PM
60 votes.
Posted by: qofdisks | Sep 21, 2007 9:56:49 PM
The problem is that the Dems are no longer even requiring the Repubs to go through the procedures that constitute a filibuster attempt. They are agreeing ahead of time that 60 votes will be needed. Instead of fighting the Repub obstructionists tooth and nail they are making it easier for them to stop legislation from coming to the floor and having a debate and vote on the merits. How does this make any sense?
As explained in this on Daily Kos discussing how the Webb amendment was handled:
"Because there was no Republican filibuster. That's why.
"Instead, the reason the Webb amendment failed even though it got 56 votes was that Senators agreed by unanimous consent that the amendment should have to get 60 votes to pass, even without a filibuster.
"But why would anyone agree to allow Republicans, who are already on pace to shatter all previous filibuster records, to stop an amendment this important and this sensible without even lifting a finger? And the question here is not just why anyone would allow it, but why everyone did. A single Senator could have put a stop to this simply by saying, "I object" when the unanimous consent request was made. Just one Senator.
"Yet none did.
"Not Harry Reid. Not Russ Feingold. Not Bernie Sanders.
"Nobody.
"And so the Webb amendment died quietly yesterday, allowing Republicans to enjoy all the obstructionist benefits of a filibuster, without having to stand up and tell Americans and their fighting men and women in the military exactly what they were doing. And not a moment was "wasted" on the "extended debate" that's supposed to make up a filibuster.
"Everyone just politely agreed that 56-44 would be a losing vote for America's sons and daughters wearing the uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they did it on national television."
Posted by: barb | Sep 22, 2007 10:31:53 AM
Your post keeps referring to "Needed 60 to Pass." No, 60 votes are needed to let the measure move to a vote, in other words to break the rethuglican filibuster. Actually the Webb amendment and Habeas restoration would have passed handily. Senator Domenici has helped to block more substantive legislation designed to help all Americans than any previous congress. Not defeat, block, as in not allow to come to an 'up-or-down' vote. Please don't further rethug spin. BTW, 67 votes are needed to over-ride a Pretzledent veto.
Posted by: Ron | Sep 23, 2007 7:39:42 PM
