Senate Voting on Webb Bill

With Memorial Day recess approaching, it's particularly appropriate that the Senate is voting today on Sen. Webb's GI bill, guaranteeing returning Iraq war veterans the equivalent of a four-year education at a public university. It would cost $52 billion over the next decade. (That decade of educational benefits, incidentally, costs as much as just two and a half months of continuing the Iraq war.)

Voting will begin soon. The entire supplemental is in two parts, the first containing the House version with the Webb GI bill and a number of domestic initiatives, including unemployment insurance. The second contains the Iraq and Afghanistan funding as well as Iraq policy initiatives, including time tables, restrictions on permanent bases, directives on detainee treatment, etc.

If the first amendment, including the domestic initiatives fails to get 60 votes, the Senate will immediately take up Sen. Webb's GI bill as a stand alone provision. This is where our Senators can put their proverbial money where their mouths our and show the nation--and our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan--whether they really support the troops. If the amendment fails this morning, it will be withdrawn for the time being.

Then they take up the second amendment. If that one doesn't get 60 votes to concur, the Iraq policy (such as time tables, torture related provisions) will get stripped out and there will be a vote on clean "supplemental."  Right now this looks like it could be very close. And the Republicans might be worried that they might not be able to get 60 votes to get a Iraq war funding bill out.

Now might be a good time to give your senators a call and ask them to support Webb's GI bill, and the full second amendment. We're going to be stuck funding this damn war for the remainder of this year. The least our representatives can do is reward the men and women who've fought it, and to direct how that money can be spent.

Update: Voting on the first amendment now. There are a lot of Republicans, and not just those worried about reelection (though mostly) supporting it. This amendment contains domestic initiatives including the Webb bill.

Update 2: Wow. Passed 75-22. The Webb bill moves forward. They did their jobs! Veto that, Georgie Boy!

Update 3: They are now voting on the second amendment that provides both funding for Iraq and Afghanistan and contains war policy provisions.

Update 4: Anybody see McCain on the floor? Did the Maverick duck out of yet another vote?

Update 5: Second amendment fails, 34-63. The Republicans voted against it because of the time tables, etc. The Dems voted against it because it's more war funding. Onto the stand alone funding.

(P.S. How much fun is it to see Tester up there in that chair?)

Update 6: The "clean" funding for Iraq bill just passed, 70-26.