Senate rejects House-passed continuing appropriations

[ProSense]

Senate rejects House-passed continuing appropriations

by David Waldman

The "jamming" play is over, and it didn't work. The Senate tabled the relevant motion by a vote of 59-36.

The House's play here was to try to hand their version of the continuing appropriations bill (to keep the government funded and running past the end of the fiscal year on September 30th) to the Senate and then skip town for a one week recess, leaving the Senate with the choice of either accepting their version of the bill, or amending/rejecting it without the House in town to react, which would leave us without a funding bill in place and trigger a government shutdown.

Instead, the Senate moved immediately to table (effectively, to kill) the House-passed version, meaning that the House will still be in session when the news comes back that there's no longer a live appropriations vehicle out there to avert the shutdown. Some of the votes to table the bill came from of the usual hard right-leaning suspects, which leads me to believe they're looking to kill two birds with one stone here: 1) to help speed the creation of a crisis, and; 2) to be able to claim they opposed the bill because it didn't cut enough, as some hardliner Republicans in the House continued to say last night.

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[bemildred]

1. It seems Boner still does not know how to count. nt

[Lionessa]

2. I have to admit that with some of the Senate Dems being such Blue Dogs,

I was fearful they would pass it and then the president would cave and sign it. Pleased that the Senate handled it so I don't have to see Obama roll over again.

[ProSense]

3. So

"I was fearful they would pass it and then the president would cave and sign it. Pleased that the Senate handled it so I don't have to see Obama roll over again."

...when the Senate passes, it's the President who caves? When the Senate rejects it, it prevents the President from caving?

OK!

[Lionessa]

4. I believe I called out all Blue Dems including the Pres, not exclusively the Pres.

[ProSense]

5. Well,

"I believe I called out all Blue Dems including the Pres, not exclusively the Pres."

...your characterization of the President aside, how does that matter?

If the "Blue Dems" are responsible for a bill passing, why is that a cave on the President's part, but when they reject it, it prevents him from caving?

I mean, based on your characterization, he should be responsible for the outcome in both scenarios, which means he also rejects it when it fails.

[Lionessa]

6. The buck pretty much stops at his desk. Are you not aware of this?

I suppose Congress could over-ride a veto, I'm not currently concerned that the Senate has enough Blue Dogs to assist the Republics in a veto over-ride.

But yeah, ultimately Obama is the final place where a cave could occur, and he's proven a great ability to make the choice of caving.

I understand you are uncomfortable with criticism of the president, my circumstances and values simply don't allow me to let him slide any more than I would any other president of any other party. He has been dramatically less than the inspired, determined persona he presented through his campaign.

[ProSense]

7. Actually,

"I understand you are uncomfortable with criticism of the president, my circumstances and values simply don't allow me to let him slide any more than I would any other president of any other party. He has been dramatically less than the inspired, determined persona he presented through his campaign."

...I'm uncomfortable with hypocrisy. The buck stops with the President regardless of your opinion of him.

That is why when Congress passed the dangerous foreclosure bill (on edit, which was pushed through in the Senate by the "Blue Dem" Leahy), the President vetoed it. Buck stopped!

[Lionessa]

8. Hypocrisy?? because I recognize the buck stops with the president? You're really reaching.

[Supersedeas]

9. when the political bullies get punched in the nose--it is about time Congressional Dems stood up

[SwampG8r]

10. more GOP create a crisis

they love crisis mode government