All of us have had to endure the GOP's trope of the Democratic obstructionist. A recent review of Senate bills, however, contradicts this notion. For the Republicans have found yet another way to block legislation supported by both Democrats and moderate and maverick Republicans.
Read below the extended to learn about this new strategy.
Now budgetary measures and parliamentary concerns are the manner whereby Republicans covertly enact a filibuster on the Senate floor. The Chairperson of the committee, always a Republican in this Republican dominated Congress, can raise parliamentary concerns to the detriment of any amendment offered by any Senator. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) can also march onto the floor and claim the budget approved earlier this year for 2006 cannot support such an amendment. If either of these concerns are articulated, the Senator who offered the amendment can contest it and ask for the yeas and nays for a waive. The problem, however, is that they must earn 60 instead of 50 votes in order for their amendment to pass. In other words, Republicans, because they control the Senate, can wage filibusters whenever they wish. And they have with remarkable regularity. Here are just a few amendments which failed to pass due to parliamentary or budgetary concerns raised by Republican Chairpeople or Senator Judd Gregg:
1.
Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive CBA Stabenow Amdt. No. 1937 )
Vote Number: 251
Vote Date: October 5, 2005, 09:43 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1937 to H.R. 2863 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.
Vote Counts: YEAs 48
NAYs 51
Not Voting 1
2.
Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive CBA re: Emergency Designation on Kerry Amdt. No. 2033 )
Vote Number: 250
Vote Date: October 5, 2005, 09:18 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2033 to H.R. 2863 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To provide for appropriations for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Vote Counts: YEAs 50
NAYs 49
Not Voting 1
3.
Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive C.B.A. re: Bayh Amdt. No. 1933 )
Vote Number: 248
Vote Date: October 5, 2005, 08:30 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1933 to H.R. 2863 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To increase by $360,800,000 amounts appropriated by title IX for Other Procurement, Army, for the procurement of armored Tactical Wheeled Vehicles for units deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to increase by $5,000,000 amounts appropriated by title IX for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, for industrial preparedness for the implementation of a ballistics engineering research center.
Vote Counts: YEAs 56
NAYs 43
Not Voting 1
Notice how Republicans used this strategy three times in one day in order to block important legislation offered by Democratic Senators. Is this not an abuse of power? Is this not an obstruction of the legislative process? All of these parliamentary concerns were raised by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). But who ever said he was a fair Senator who always has the best interests of the American people in mind?
4.
Question: On the Motion (Motion To Suspend Paragraph 4, Rule XVI RE: Lieberman Amdt. No. 1678 )
Vote Number: 234
Vote Date: September 15, 2005, 03:24 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1678 to H.R. 2862 (Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To provide financial relief for individuals and entities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Vote Counts: YEAs 43
NAYs 52
Not Voting 5
Here Lieberman tried to appropriate funds for Katrina victims, but Sen. Shelby (R-AL) deemed the amendment unrelated to this appropriation bill, thus making it even more difficult for Democrats to secure funds for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.
5.
Question: On the Motion (Motion To Suspend Paragraph 4, Rule XVI RE: Clinton Amdt. NO. 1660 )
Vote Number: 229
Vote Date: September 14, 2005, 01:06 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1660 to H.R. 2862 (Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To establish a congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of the United States especially in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath and make immediate corrective measures to improve such responses in the future.
Vote Counts: YEAs 44
NAYs 54
Not Voting 2
Sen. Shelby also decided Clinton's amendment was not germane to this appropriations bill, thus making it near impossible for an independent commission to be established.
6.
Question: On the Motion (Motion To Suspend Paragraph 4, Rule XVI RE: Dorgan Amdt. No. 1670 )
Vote Number: 228
Vote Date: September 14, 2005, 12:31 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1670 to H.R. 2862 (Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To establish a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and to fight the war on terrorism.
Vote Counts: YEAs 44
NAYs 53
Not Voting 3
And he does it again in order to block Dorgan's amendment.
7.
Question: On the Motion (Motion To Waive CBA Stabenow Amdt. No. 1687, As Modified )
Vote Number: 227
Vote Date: September 14, 2005, 11:00 AM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1687 to H.R. 2862 (Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To provide funding for interoperable communications equipment grants.
Vote Counts: YEAs 40
NAYs 58
Not Voting 2
Here Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) raised a budgetary concern, thereby blocking the Stabenow amendment.
8.
Question: On the Amendment (Motion To Waive CBA RE: Biden Amdt. No. 1661 )
Vote Number: 226
Vote Date: September 13, 2005, 04:41 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2
Vote Result: Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1661 to H.R. 2862 (Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 )
Statement of Purpose: To provide emergency funding for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Vote Counts: YEAs 41
NAYs 56
Not Voting 3
And yet again, another budgetary concern blocks important legislation for the victims of Katrina. Even worse, budgetary and parliamentary concerns were raised not once, not twice, but five times in order to block amendments offered by Democratic Senators. Is this not an abuse of power? And is this not a covert manner to block Democratic amendments by forcing them to earn not 50 but 60 votes? And the Republican party complains of Democratic obstruction. But with the demand of a supermajority for every Democratic amendment offered, they are essentially filibustering the party every chance they can. I believe this should be made an issue. Who are the true obstructionists?