Free Republic

Per Fox. Title says it all. Gonna happen in time for Christmas. Gutless conservatives have been rightfully excluded from government.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fl.) is urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to propose revisions to the Senate's cloture rules so that only 55 votes, instead of 60, would be required to end floor debate. His effort -- spearheaded with the help of an online campaign at StopSenateStalling.com -- takes special aim at the healthcare debate, which Grayson said has fallen victim to countless overused and unfair filibuster threats over the past few months. "Why should launching wars and cutting taxes for the rich require only 50 votes while saving lives requires 60?" asked Grayson, who listed a series of...

Sadly, he is right. Senator Reid, the other 57 Democrats, and both Independents voted to move the Senate Health Care Bill forward for debate, and ultimately, a vote. Not one Republican voted for the bill. I expected that Joe Lieberman (I-CT) would have had a bit more sense than to be willing to debate a bill with the same people who had not the slightest bit of intellectual honesty during the Bush Administration. Incredibly, he bought the line that Reid was selling. If you could see the smug look on Reid's face, then you would be able to tell that...

Democrats succeeded tonight in winning the first cloture vote on the Senate Health Care Bill which allows it to move forward to an debate / amendment phase. But Martin Gold and Tom Curry spell out just how far "ObamaCare" has to go before it becomes a reality. It's a longer road than I understood, and than you may think: With the Senate having approved a motion to proceed to debate on the health insurance overhaul, legislation is still far from being signed into law. Here's what happens next: Step 1Senators debate the bill and offer amendments to change or remove...

Democrats on Saturday clinched the votes needed to advance the Senate's version of President Obama's health care overhaul to the floor for a historic debate scheduled to begin shortly after 8 p.m..

Dems snare 60 votes to move ahead on health careBy ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer – 4 mins ago WASHINGTON – Democratic leaders secured the last two votes to move ahead on historic health care legislation, clearing the way for a Saturday night showdown on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative. In long-awaited speeches, centrist Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said they would stand with their party and vote "yes" on the crucial test vote despite deep reservations with elements of the 2,074-page bill to remake the nation's health care system. "The truth is this...

Here is video of Democrat Sen. Blanche Lincoln announcing that she will vote for Cloture today on the Senate Health Care Bill. Lincoln claims her vote does not mean she will vote "Yes" on a future cloture vote that will be needed to proceed to a final vote on the bill. In fact, in her remarks, Lincoln said she will vote "No" on the next 60-vote Cloture vote if the Reid bill remains in its current form. Whether she will hold true to those words is a matter of great uncertainty. . . . (VIDEO)

Government run Health Care, rounding third and heading for home....(Video of Landrieu on the Senate floor)

C-SPAN 2 is carrying the Senate floor debate live this afternoon.The Democrats control the floor right now. Earlier, Republican Senators Judd Gregg, Kit Bond, Jeff Sessions and David Vitter gave good speeches and dialogues on the budget-busting effects of ObamaCare.Maria Cantwell is speaking now. Mary Landrieu is excpected to speak shortly.The cloture vote is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST tonight.

“Let’s be clear: Any senator who votes to proceed to this bill is voting for a government takeover of health care. Senators who hide behind procedure and claim they just want to allow for debate are not being honest, they are trying to deceive their voters while helping to pass this terrible bill that will make health care more expensive."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid closed in on clinching 60 votes for a public health insurance option Friday as two key moderates signaled they wouldn’t stand in his way – clearing a path for Reid to finish work on a bill as early as Tuesday, Democratic officials said. The moves came a day after Reid presented his idea for a public plan with a state “opt-out” to a skeptical President Barack Obama, who didn’t balk at the idea but questioned whether Reid could truly round up the votes, two sources familiar with the Oval Office meeting said. So Reid (D-Nev.)...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid closed in on clinching 60 votes for a public health insurance option Friday as two key moderates signaled they wouldn’t stand in his way – clearing a path for Reid to finish work on a bill as early as Tuesday, Democratic officials said. The moves came a day after Reid presented his idea for a public plan with a state “opt-out” to a skeptical President Barack Obama, who didn’t balk at the idea but questioned whether Reid could truly round up the votes, two sources familiar with the Oval Office meeting said. So Reid (D-Nev.)...

Just called Burr's office; Sen. Burr intends to vote YES cloture re S. 1776. The bill's passage will help hide the total cost for Obamacare. Yesterday his office stated that would be voting against cloture. This is a big turnaround. Call Sen. Richard Burr (NC) at 202-224-3154 and tell him to vote NO on cloture.

'Doc fix' no longer up for cloture on MondayBy Tony Romm - 10/18/09 02:34 PM ET Senate Democrats have decided to postpone Monday's scheduled cloture vote on a bill that would reform how Medicare reimburses doctors and hospitals. Initially, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) scheduled his motion to end floor debate and bring the so-called 'doc fix bill' to a final vote at the beginning of next week. But the leader reportedly changed his mind on Friday, deciding instead to he would vitiate Monday's vote so both parties' lawmakers could broker an agreement on a few remaining amendments, his...

Right before the Senate adjourned for the August recess today, Senate Majority Leader Reid filed for cloture on the nomination of Chicago/Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The motion means a Senate floor debate will take place in September, with confirmation expected. Senate Republicans have apparently lifted their holds against Sunstein, but several want an opportunity to speak about the nomination on the floor (and about regulatory policy, one hopes). Objections to Sunstein over animals rights and the Second Amendment still turn up in the blogosphere, but in his confirmation hearing and...

The web page for the Elections Division for the Massacusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth does not show any information about the Special Election to replace the Late Senator Ted Kennedy, which is to take place five months from yesterday, on or before January 26, 2010. This election must be scheduled as a matter of existing law. The Secretary of the Commonwealth has no standing to violate the law as it exists.

President Obama will have to wait a bit longer to round out his Cabinet. Senate Republicans refused today to allow a confirmation vote on his health secretary nominee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.). She is the last Cabinet member awaiting Senate approval. At the start of the session today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) proposed taking a vote after five hours of debate. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected, arguing that lawmakers needed more time to consider her "fairly contentious" selection. A handful of Republicans have complained about Sebelius' support for abortion rights and her failure to report...

The man in charge of electing more Republicans to the Senate said it will be difficult to stop the Democrats from winning a 60-seat majority in 2010. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the new head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), knows he has a difficult road ahead of him. “That’s going to be real hard, to be honest with you,” Cornyn said of keeping Democrats from reaching 60 seats, adding: “Everybody who runs could be the potential tipping point to get Democrats to 60. We’ve not only got to play defense; we’ve got to claw our way back in...

"Reconciliation" is proving a divisive word on Capitol Hill, where it could trigger one of the biggest partisan brawls of the year. <snip> "Oh, I love 51 compared to 60," Mr. Reid said Thursday when asked if he was considering putting the administration's energy cap-and-trade bill on the budget reconciliation measure. "We certainly know that it is an alternative."

Dear Pennsylvania constituent: After giving exhaustive consideration to the Employee Free Choice legislation, I have decided to oppose the bill for reasons specified in my Senate floor statement which is contained below or you may read here [link 1] and watch here [link 2]. I remain open to working to correct the imbalance which exists with so many jobs being exported and substantial labor losses in areas like pensions and health care. In my floor statement, I have also laid out some suggested revisions to the National Labor Relations Act which could provide the basis for correcting the current imbalance....

If anyone were still in doubt as to the importance of a Senate filibuster, we'd point them to Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter's announcement yesterday that he will not support "card check." Maybe Big Labor won't be able to up-end the economy, after all. Mr. Specter's decision means Republicans now have 41 votes against "card check" -- legislation that would do away with secret ballots in union organization elections. The Pennsylvanian was the only Senate Republican to have previously voted in favor of a debate on the bill, and as such had been the target of a furious lobbying fight by...

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) announced Tuesday he will oppose card check, giving an apparent death blow to the most important congressional issue to organized labor. Specter made the dramatic announcement in a floor speech. His opposition means Democrats can count on a maximum of 59 votes to move the bill forward, one short of the 60 required to clear Senate rules. Winning 59 votes would require Democrat Al Franken to beat Republican Norm Coleman in the still-contested Minnesota Senate race. Democrats also would have to count on holding the rest of their votes, and several centrists have raised doubts about...

AFTER MUCH PRESSURE, SPECTER TO OPPOSE CLOTURE & PASSAGE ON CARD CHECK… According to multiple sources, Senator Arlen Specter will vote against cloture and passage on Employee Free Choice Act legislation…

President Obama’s budget director said the White House would consider using a Senate procedural tactic so that only 50 votes would be rquired to pass major healthcare and energy reforms. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration would prefer not to use the budget reconciliation process to push through its package. But he added: "We have to keep everything on the table. We want to get these.... important things done this year." Orszag called healthcare in particular "the key to our fiscal future." Orszag made the comments on ABC’s "This Week with George...

41 Senate Republicans Send Letter To President Obama Urging Consultation On Judicial Nominees March 2, 2009 President Barack H. Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.  20500 Dear Mr. President: We look forward to working with you as you consider nominees for the federal judiciary.  Unfortunately, the judicial appointments process has become needlessly acrimonious.  We would very much like to improve this process, and we know you would as well.  It is in that spirit that we write early on to suggest two steps your Administration can take to achieve that shared goal.   First, in the beginning...

President Obama’s budget director said the White House would consider using a Senate procedural tactic so that only 50 votes would be rquired to pass major healthcare and energy reforms. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration would prefer not to use the budget reconciliation process to push through its package. But he added: "We have to keep everything on the table. We want to get these.... important things done this year." Orszag called healthcare in particular "the key to our fiscal future." Orszag made the comments on ABC’s "This Week with George...

President Obama’s budget director said the White House would consider using a Senate procedural tactic so that only 50 votes would be rquired to pass major healthcare and energy reforms. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration would prefer not to use the budget reconciliation process to push through its package. But he added: "We have to keep everything on the table. We want to get these.... important things done this year." Orszag called healthcare in particular "the key to our fiscal future."

“MR. PRESIDENT, I rise today to address the record number of filibusters in the Senate,...” So might begin the transcript in the Congressional Record if a senator were to discuss what may well be the most pivotal issue in American public policy these days — the filibuster and its only antidote: a cloture vote that ends debate. --snip-- “This is a sharp increase in the use of a filibuster as a routine mechanism,” said Norman J. Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, a nonpartisan research group. “The Senate is set up culturally not to act on anything quickly. That’s a...

The Senate majority that voted yesterday to crush what is almost certainly the last opportunity to fix America's broken immigration system for at least two years was responding to constituents with unreasonable expectations. Flogged into a fury by talk-show agitators and Internet provocateurs, thousands of people called, wrote and e-mailed their senators to protest legislation they believed would do nothing to stop the flow of illegal entry into this country, would forgive millions of illegals already here and would burden taxpayers with the cost to schools and health care. No one is going to round up 12 million people here...

The Senate's three Democratic presidential hopefuls — Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden and Barack Obama — voted to advance the bill. Among Republicans, John McCain voted to keep the measure alive and Sam Brownback did likewise before changing his vote after defeat was obvious. "Immigration is going to have to wait until we get a new president and a new Congress," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said after a 46-53 procedural vote Thursday derailed efforts to move the bill toward final passage. The House also is almost certain to dodge the issue, with leaders of both parties hoping...

Joe can go back to tending his garden properly; Jenny can pick up the needlepoint all over again. All over America today the American people are breathing a sigh of relief and starting to resume their lives. We won another battle to keep our country strong, we fought back the foes who would sell out our country and we did so with such heat and enthusiasm, that we shut down the senate phones because so many Americans dropped what they were doing and stood up to the government and told them you work for us. This is proud day, a...

At 10:50, EST, the cloture vote is scheduled to start. I am going to be watching it live on C-Span 2 and reporting with news as soon as it becomes available. Refresh to see updates of this post. 11:00: Harry Reid is still blathering on, over time, and we're still waiting to vote. 11:03: Here we go. 11:04: They're not showing each vote as it goes through, so it doesn't look like we'll know the count until it's over. 11:07: This is nerve wracking. 11:11: They called out some of the no votes. I noticed Gordon Smith was one of...

The DemoRATS are taking out their frustrations on Sen. DeMitt for dare to speak a request! It is going on now, if you missed it, watch it again tonight! After this vote they might return to their attempt to shame DeMitt.

I don't know if this is going to pass posting rule muster, but its just so darn good and germaine: Adios!!!!

Say, how come there are 47 yes votes when the roll says there were only 46? Ah, my friends, that’s because Sam Brownback turned out to be the weaseliest “no” vote of all. He voted yes right at the very beginning, during the alphabetical vote, probably thinking that cloture was going to pass. Then, when it died, he switched to a no. I almost wish he was pulling more than 1% in the presidential polls so we could hammer him into oblivion with that. As it is, I’ve captured his moment of shame for posterity on video. I think that’s...

Senators voted to continue discussions on amnesty.

The bill has died. Trust me, no one will be sitting shiva for it at HH.com, and not just because I’m the only one who knows what “sitting shiva” means. Actually, Medved also knows what “sitting shiva” means, and maybe he’ll be doing it on behalf of everyone else at Townhall who is instead celebrating like it’s VJ Day. (Reports that Matt Lewis surprised Mary Katherine Ham with a kiss like the one seen in the picture of above are unconfirmed.) So where do we go from here? Let’s take ‘em one by one, starting with the biggest winners and...

Here is a spreadsheet detailing the votes on the immigration bill and its amendments. Excel 2003: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ou6kwa Excel 2007: http://www.sendspace.com/file/21i5ps It contains some statistics as well as contact information for each senator - please call or fax to let them know how you feel! The statistics at the right and bottom provide some add'l analysis to help focus your letters, emails, calls, etc.

Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Allard (R-CO), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Nay Bayh (D-IN), Nay Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Nay Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Coleman (R-MN), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Yea Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay...

The cloture vote on the 2007 Immigration Reform Bill looks like it will kick off at approximately 1100 hours. It will come down to four votes or less. Like I predicted several weeks ago, this one is going down like The Edmund Fitzgerald, the October 1929 DJIA and Senator Lindsey Graham’s favorability ratings. Most of the GOP gets this and understands well. The voters will remember and will punish those who betray us. Careers will end abruptly, if incumbent GOP Senators think they can ram this down our throats. While the proponents of the bill call the opponents a vocal...

Put Sen. Kit Bond (R., Mo.) in the no pile for cloture tomorrow, if his comments to Sean Hannity are any indication: BOND: What you call voting the right way, I can assure you, you and I agree on the substance, which is, this bill shouldn't go anywhere... This, I think, is worthy of debate, and certainly conservatives aren't afraid to debate. We wouldn't have Hannity and Colmes, and I'd miss out on all that fun. But this bill has amnesty in it and a lot of other problems so when the following 60 point — 60 vote cloture and...

3:59pm update. Vote is underway on tabling a Dodd amendment. Meantime, Noam Askew hears that Domenici will vote against cloture tomorrow. There’s buzz that Nelson and Bond are also likely no’s.

According to Insider(s), Burr, Brownback, Gregg, Nelson of Nebraska, and Webb are VERY good targets for switching against cloture (or perhaps not being there, which amounts to the same thing). Pryor, Bond, and Coleman are other serious possibilities. I am told, too, that Barbara Boxer remains decidedly unhappy with the bill, and is still a definite possibility to switch to the anti-cloture, anti-amnesty side. Others to watch are Collins and Snowe of Maine, who I had counted as lost causes but who apparently still might be open to persuasion.

It's the government that's broken!

A Republican senator from Kentucky says the so-called "comprehensive immigration reform" bill is completely unnecessary because there are already laws on the books the government has yet to enforce that will stop illegal aliens at the border. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is reportedly unsure whether he will support the immigration bill that would grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. McConnell tells Associated Press, "the bill on the merits is a mixed bag," and he won't decide how to vote on the measure until a series of amendments have been considered. But fellow Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning is...

We all remember the movie where Jimmy Stewart was standing on the floor of the Senate, exhausted and reduced to a rasping voice. That was the old way of filibustering. It required work. It required that the Senators be in attendance and continue the debate if they wanted to block a measure from a vote. Once the REAL debate was finished the Senate could vote without two thirds in attendance. Somebody didn't like the possibility of having to be on call for a surprise vote. But, wait! That’s work for these old chamber-mades. Granted, if the old filibuster rules existed...

Senate Leader [Kate O'Beirne] A veteran Senate aide reminded me that the essential function/core responsibility of a Senate majority or minority leader is to represent his party on procedural issues. This responsibility doesn't rest with other members of the party's Senate leadership. Speaking for his party on procedural issues defines the job of a Senate leader. A majority of Republican senators voted against cloture and Senator McConnell voted on the other side. Apparently, that's unprecedented.

June 26, 2007 – Brownback Immigration Update Senator Brownback voted in favor of cloture on the motion to proceed to the immigration bill today. That means he voted to bring the bill back to the floor for debate and for amendments to be offered. This does NOT mean that Senator Brownback supports the immigration bill itself – he feels the bill needs to be improved. Brownback opposes amnesty, and believes first and foremost in securing our borders and ending illegal immigration. Brownback voted to debate the bill in the Senate but is withholding support for the bill until the amendment...

Following up on this morning’s post, I’ve started a new thread for the second round of Senate floor debate on shamnesty. It’s 2:31pm Eastern and the Senate is waiting for a member to come to the floor to speak. Rich Miniter has a memo outlining the clay pigeon strategy. Like I said, we’ll see if it flies today. Meantime, where do we go from here? Bryan Preston says fight. Ok, then. Are you in the mood to make calls and hold ship-jumping, pro-amnesty Senators to account? Good. Here’s a list of targets that’s circulating on the Hill: Brownback (split with...