Posted on 07/26/2015 4:01:24 PM PDT by markomalley
The GOP "Old Guard" in the Senate Sunday pushed back against outspoken conservative critics, avoiding direct attacks on Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, but making it clear his recent renegade actions are unwelcome in the upper chamber.
Without saying a word, the Republican conference sent a powerful message to Cruz and other conservatives like Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, by not backing their efforts to add amendments to a "must-pass" highway spending bill.
"Deliberation and reasoned judgment require an atmosphere of restraint, an atmosphere of thoughtful disagreement," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who serves as the Senate pro tempore and is the longest-serving GOP lawmaker, said in a floor speech Sunday. "Deliberation without decorum is not deliberation at all. It is bickering. And bickering, Mr. President, is beneath this body."
Hatch delivered much of the unofficial censure Sunday, criticizing Cruz for his Senate floor speech Friday where he accused Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of 'flat-out' lying about the highway bill.
Hatch issued a general reminder to all lawmakers that it is against the rules to accuse another senator of "unworthy" conduct, before speaking at length about what he described as a breakdown of Senate floor decorum in recent months, led by Senate newcomers running for president or otherwise looking to advance themselves politically.
"In recent times the Senate floor has too often become a forum for partisan messaging and ideological grandstanding rather than a setting for serious debate," Hatch said. "It has been misused as a tool to advance personal ambitions, a venue to promote political campaigns, and even a vehicle to enhance fundraising efforts, all at the expense of the proper functioning of this body."
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, joined in on the push-back against Cruz, urging fellow Republicans to withhold support for a planned motion by Cruz aimed at forcing a vote on one of his amendments.
Cruz wanted the Senate to take up a provision that would require Iran to recognize Israel as a state and to release four Americans now jailed in the Islamic republic. But senior Republicans urged fellow lawmakers to reject Cruz's motion because it could set off a flood of additional amendments.
"There would be chaos," Cornyn said, adding that a vote in favor of the Cruz motion, "would be a terrible mistake."
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wanted to offer a motion that would force the Senate to vote on an amendment to defund federal dollars from Planned Parenthood, where officials were recently shown on video discussing the price of fetal body parts.
But no lawmaker would second the Cruz or Lee motions to move their amendments, stopping them in their tracks.
The battle isn't over, however. Lee will likely make a motion tomorrow to try to win a vote on an amendment to repeal Obamacare with just 51 votes. A similar amendment was defeated today because it required 60 votes for passage.
Like today's amendments, however, Lee will first require the support of other senators to win a vote on the issue, which he was unable to obtain on Sunday.
"Republicans will have the opportunity resurrect that Obamacare amendment later on in the process, and put it back before the Senate in a manner that only requires a simple-majority vote," Lee said in a statement.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of bringing back to life the now-expired Export-Import Bank. An amendment to revive the bank, which saw its authorization come to an end in June thanks in part to staunch opposition from conservative lawmakers.
The Senate has now extended a potential lifeline to the bank via legislation that would fund federal road and bridge projects for the next six years.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., kept a promise made to Democrats earlier this year that in exchange for their support on an important trade deal, he would allow a vote on a measure to extend the bank.
I would love to see some fist fights and general mayhem in the Senate!
Blow it out your sphincter, Orrin.
So why did we need a majority to do this, we could have done this if the Democrears had the majority. It is time for some REAL ANGER...
Spoiled children often tantrum.
Nonsense, the Cruz and Lee amendments were 3rd degree amendments and such, historically are not allowed.
The actual insult was that Mitch “filled the tree” for amendments. A favorite trick of Harry Reid’s to block conservative amendments. And now used for the same purpose by Mitch.
Get rid of the excess weight asap. Planned parenthood needs defunding and the prisoners in Iran need some help. Thank you Ted Cruz. Integrity is hard to come by these days.
It would get rid of the sunset republicans who use the party for their personal aggrandizement.
Email and go to their Facebook pages,
. I do.
Blocked a bill to defund Planned Parenthood. It is time to destroy the GOP. If Trump goes third I hope Cruz goes with him. The GOP can go straight to hell.
Go Cruz!
Go Lee!
Bickering is beneath them but not lying or supporting the cruel murder of fully formed babies.
Hatch sucks. Time to replace him.
We don't have a congress anymore. We have a criminal enterprise. Organized crime can take lessons from these crooks and liars.
We talk about impeaching and imprisoning Obama, but we also need to bring Boehner and McConnell and more than a few other accomplices from both parties up on charges.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3316935/posts?page=83#83
A couple people on this thread seem to want more of that.
The enemy is within.
Hatch should have been retired last election, same with Cornyn, Graham, McOrc, all the rest of the Democrats in R jerseys.
The good guys are badly outnumbered, we need to send them reinforcements.
[... a “must-pass” highway spending bill.]
Which,at this point, seems to be heading for another one of those sneaky ‘midnight votes.
I don't understand why the didn't second each other?
The Facebook pages are pretty fun right now. Not one positive comment that I could find and tons of support for Ted Cruz.
Lamar Alexander is a piece of work. LONG TIME FED ED GUY! He just reauthorized a renamed No Child Left Behind Act that will open the gateway for psychological testing. If you think the Ed issue is just a sleepy concern u are in for a real surprise. It is a COMMIE CONTROLLED COCKPIT ALL THE WAY.BRAINWASHING TURNED UP FULL SPEED.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.