Democratic efforts to increase spending bill halted in Senate - Byrd, Kennedy amendments voted down

Los Angeles Times ^ | January 17, 2003 | Los Angeles Times Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Democratic efforts to increase spending bill halted in Senate

01/17/2003

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON – Holding firm for President Bush, Senate Republicans on Thursday killed Democratic attempts to add billions of dollars for domestic security and education to a $390 billion bill that would fund the government through September.

On a 51-45 vote, the Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to spend $5 billion more for security at ports, nuclear plants and other facilities. Hours later, the Senate defeated, 51-46, a proposal by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., to spend $6 billion more on education.

Both votes showed Mr. Bush's clout in the new GOP-led Congress: No Republican senator broke ranks on the politically difficult questions. On the Democratic side, Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia sided with the majority.

[MeekOneGOP]

This is incredible but not surprising. The 'RATS are railing against Bush for the upcoming deficits but are in their usual 'spend, spend, spend' mode. They just wish they had enough votes to pass the spending bills and could kill the tax cut President Bush is proposing...

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Online at (easy link to the LAT): http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/011703dnnatspending2.ad98b.html

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[Claire Voyant]

Was KKK Byrd trying to get more money funded for the Klan?? For Crosses?? Or for ANOTHER road named Senator Robert Byrd Cul-de-sac. PATHETIC!!

[nicmarlo]

No Republican senator broke ranks on the politically difficult questions. On the Democratic side, Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia sided with the majority.

Liberal Commie Rats' Mantra: "Tax and spend; tax and spend."

morning, meekie.

[metesky]

You got the wrong end of the camel...

[not-alone]

thanks for post, I noticed that both Kerry and Edwards didn't vote yesterday (4 rollcall votes) and Miller has voted with GOP on all votes.

[LS]

Despite all the whining here on FR---and even Rush was misled on the "deal" yesterday---this is the result. OUR AGENDA will move forward, THEIR AGENDA will get voted down. End of story. The funding/committee crap was a bunch of smoke, designed to sidetrack us. Thank God Frist and the boys kept their eye on the ball. THIS is the battlefield, and THIS is where it counts.

[randita]

The funding/committee crap was a bunch of smoke, designed to sidetrack us. Thank God Frist and the boys kept their eye on the ball. THIS is the battlefield, and THIS is where it counts.

You are correct. Being in the majority, there are all kinds of ways Republicans can massage the funding process to their favor. They didn't give up anything in the funding deal.

Did you catch on Rush yesterday where he quoted Mitch McConnell as saying that the GOP has only about 6 months to really make headway in the agenda? After that, presidential politics will interfere, especially since so many Senators are running. So it's highly important the GOP spring off the blocks at full speed and it looks like they're doing that.

[LS]

I did. And I think Rush was wrong about this, seeing it as a "cave" (albeit a minor one). We have a saying about Christ at our church---"The main thing is keeping the MAIN THING the MAIN THING." The main thing here is advancing the agenda, by stealth if necessary, overtly when possible. Defeat the Dems and humiliate them when you must, but if that requires a battle you don't need, go around them.

We can learn a lot from MacArthur's "island hopping" strategy of WW II---go around strong points of resistance, cut them off from behind, while advancing the perimeter.

[OldFriend]

Somewhere there are freepers who find a way to condemn the repubs on this vote......lol......

Read too, that Daschle was not amused that some of 'his' folks were out on the campaign trail rather than in D.C. voting!!!

[yoe]

"...to spend $6 billion more on education.

Apparently 85% of the money spent on education simply goes to the overhead, not the students. More people are hired not to teach but to work in the front office, janitorial, or other make work jobs. Money is not going to fix the problem of "Why Jane and Jack Can't Read". Get the Federal Government out of our public schools and let the teachers who can, teach. The greater problem lies in the parents who aren’t “there”; those that are, are fighting an up-hill battle to get their child an education when the teacher’s time is taken up with the almost impossible to teach or with class disrupters that can’t be sent home.

Community Colleges must take everyone but there the teachers are present and they teach to smaller classes as opposed to the University where a class of 700 sit in an auditorium and listen to a taped lecture from a tenured professor who is not required to be in attendance.

As it stands now home schooling or a parochial school is the only way to gain a good education for the younger students. Money is not the answer, it never was. Good teachers and caring parents are.

[yoe]

"...go around strong points of resistance, cut them off from behind, while advancing the perimeter.

Isn't this just what our 'plain spoken' President has been doing on all fronts?

[jmaroneps37]

That's one!

[nicmarlo]

there are freepers who find a way to condemn the repubs on this vote

Really?

[The Wizard]

Go Frist, Go

[aristeides]

Both votes showed Mr. Bush's clout in the new GOP-led Congress: No Republican senator broke ranks on the politically difficult questions. On the Democratic side, Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia sided with the majority.

So how come there were only 51 votes on the Republican side? Doesn't 51 plus 1 equal 52?

[WOSG]

Democrats whine about deficits then demand more spending ... they still cant count, eh?

[ACAC]

Chuck Hagel was not in town.

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin' ! Sorry so slow to reply. Trying to play Ketchup again. Call it "Mission Impossible", lol !

Zell Miller and John Breaux are about the only two 'RATS in the Senate that have any semblance of decency, imho...

Senator Zell Miller (D)
Georgia
Democrat, Years of Service: 1

ACU Ratings for Senator Miller:
Year 2001	60
Year 2000
Lifetime	60

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Senator John Breaux (D)
Louisiana
Democrat, Years of Service: 29

ACU Ratings for Senator Breaux:
Year 2001	48
Year 2000	40
Lifetime	47

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American Conservative Union

[MeekOneGOP]

Miller? Yeah. See #19 btw...