Posted on 11/16/2007 7:58:00 AM PST by rightinthemiddle
WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate on Friday blocked a Republican proposal to pay $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without strings attached.
The 53-45 vote was 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance.
The measure was aimed at countering Democratic legislation that also would bankroll the operations, but would additionally require that troops start coming home in 30 days.
The Democratic bill, passed by the House on Wednesday, set a goal of ending combat by December 2008.
"We need to get the funds to the troops and we need to do it now," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.
"Anything else is political posturing," said Reid.
Democrats also were expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to advance their bill.
Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said this week that if Congress cannot pass legislation that ties war money to troop withdrawals, they would not send Bush a bill this year.
Instead, they would revisit the issue upon returning in January, pushing the Pentagon to the brink of an accounting nightmare and deepening Democrats' conflict with the White House on the war.
In the meantime, Democrats say, the Pentagon can eat into its $471 billion annual budget without being forced to take drastic steps.
"The days of a free lunch are over," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that unless Congress passes funding for the war within days, he will direct the Army and Marine Corps to begin developing plans to lay off employees and terminate contracts early next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
This is strange...four Republicans voted with the Dims, four Democrats voted with the Republicans?
That means at least four Senators contradicted themselves...or voted “no” on both.
BTW...how you doin’, brother?
Who are the Democrat senators in red states who failed to vote as they should have on these bills?
Yeah, he was mine too, until I moved to Kentucky. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw a truck.
I fear for our soldiers in harm’s way. The left will pull the rug out from under them, then laugh as they are humiliated and killed.
.
Yep, it a Democrat who would be first to say they still don’t have the protective gear they need, yet, Democrats are continually finding ways to hold up the funds.
If a single soldier is killed because they lacked the funding and equipment due to political posturing mr reid I will hold you PERSONALLY responsible.
.
Many of us are with you on this one.
"This ocean was placed between us by forces you never knew, which the generation before mine failed to control and which mine must stamp out. It is a task which must be done if we are to live in peace, freedom and decency. We shrank from the job and the danger grew.
You can always count on Snow, Specter, and whoever that other women is that always votes the same as Snow.
USA is calling it a draw:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/11/senate-puts-off.html
Says they’re putting off the funding until next year. Meanwhile, the Pentagon will have to pay for Iraq out of its regular budget.
Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
YEAs ---53 | ||
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) |
Feinstein (D-CA) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lincoln (D-AR) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) |
Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR) |
NAYs ---45 | ||
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) |
Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dodd (D-CT) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) |
Lieberman (ID-CT) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) |
That would be Collins.
They don’t call him Dirty Harry for nothing.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Have you figured out how the vote went on the Republican version?
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Their pandering to their kooks is more important than supporting the troops. The American people are taking notice. Enjoy your turkey, Dingy Amy!
Which is what actually failed according to Thomas. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00411
Preach it.
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