Senate Defeats Call for Intelligence Probe; 62-34 to shelve an amendment pushed by Durbin

Reuters ^ | 07-17-03

[Brian S]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led Senate on Thursday rejected a bid to force the Bush administration to issue its own report on the intelligence it used to justify the war in Iraq, as the Senate pressed to wrap up its bill to fund the Pentagon.

As Democrats ratcheted up attacks on the administration's handling of Iraq, the Senate voted 62-34 to shelve an amendment pushed by Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, to withhold $50 million in intelligence funds until President Bush submits a report. Eleven Democrats voted against it.

Earlier in the day, Durbin said CIA Director George Tenet told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door session that a White House official insisted on including a disputed allegation about Saddam Hussein's push for a nuclear weapon in Bush's State of the Union speech last January.

That drew an immediate rebuke from the White House which characterized Durbin's statement as "nonsense."

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's second-ranked Republican, said Democrats were using the flap over the discredited claim that Saddam was seeking uranium in Africa "to score political points. They've sacrificed the national interest on the altar of partisan politics."

In debate on the $369 billion bill to fund the Pentagon next fiscal year, Democrats pressed Bush to provide cost estimates for stabilizing Iraq and enlist help from NATO and the United Nations.

Sen. Tim Johnson, a South Dakota Democrat whose son served in the Iraq war, accused Bush of "goading Iraqi guerrilla war fighters to take another shot" at U.S. forces who are facing almost daily casualties.

"Our nation would be better served and the security of our troops would be better served if our president would spend less time trying to look and sound like a grade B movie cowboy" and spend more time getting international help in Iraq, he said.

In votes on Wednesday, Republicans defeated Democratic amendments to force Bush to provide long-term cost estimates for Iraq and impose deadlines to get help from NATO and the United Nations in peacekeeping.

Republicans hoped for a final vote later on Thursday on the defense spending bill, which does not include funds for Iraq. That money is coming from a $62 billion emergency bill Congress passed in April, and Bush is expected to seek another money bill for Iraq next year.

[speedy]

Good. The Pubbies are showing some signs of giving it back to the treasonous Dems. It's heating up, and that's good for us. The public will support us if we show some guts.

[Support Free Republic]

SHOW ME THE MONEY !!!

[PhiKapMom]

Roll Call Vote of this Durbin Amendment! BTW, note that LIEberman, Kerry, and Graham did not vote! Running for President and cannot show up for this vote. Were they there for PM Blair's speech this afternoon?

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---62
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Edwards (D-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---34
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Breaux (D-LA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Daschle (D-SD)
Dayton (D-MN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hollings (D-SC)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 4
Graham (D-FL)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Miller (D-GA)

[VRWC_minion]

Why is this "Republican led senate" when its clearly a bipartisan fillibuster proof majority ?

[skr]

Only idiots would vote for an amendment to cut funding for intelligence when we're fighting terrorism.

[Paleo Conservative]

62-34 to shelve an amendment pushed by Durbin

That's not even close. Eleven DemocRATS had to vote against the amendment to get to that vote total! Obviously there are at least a few DemocRATS who aren't totally brain dead. I would like to see a state by state and senate class breakdown on which DemocRATS voted with the majority. I wonder if there were some red state senators who are up for election in 2004 who voted for it?

[Laverne]

What was the vote????? 62 to 34, yet this is republicans pushing this issue? LOL; seems pretty "bi-partisan" to me. Typical liberal media bias.

[PhiKapMom]

I don't understand why Ben Nelson from Nebraska doesn't just walk across the aisle and become a Republican. He votes with Republicans almost all the time!

[rwfromkansas]

When the vote is close, it is the "narrowly Republican-led Senate".

Of course, when teh GOP wins outright, it is just the "Republican-led Senate."

[marajade]

Breaux????

[rwfromkansas]

The yes is to get rid of Durbin's amendment.

The Dems were pushing this.

[speedy]

Guess not all the Rats are ready to commit suicide just yet. A few of them are thinking clearly enough to realize how this could come back to haunt them.

[tubebender]

Only idiots would vote for an amendment to cut funding for intelligence when we're fighting terrorism.

You beat me to it...

[PhiKapMom]

DEMOCRATS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2004

Bayh, Evan IN Boxer,
Barbara CA
Breaux, John LA
Daschle, Thomas SD
Dodd, Christopher CT Dorgan,
Byron ND
Edwards, John NC
Feingold, Russell WI
Graham, Bob FL
Hollings, Ernest SC
Inouye, Daniel HI
Leahy, Patrick VT
Lincoln, Blanche AR
Mikulski, Barbara MD
Miller, Zell GA
Murray, Patty WA
Reid, Harry NV
Schumer, Charles NY
Wyden, Ron OR

[PhiKapMom]

I had the exact same reaction on Breaux! I couldn't believe it as a matter of fact but I double checked and he voted for this amendment!

[AD from SpringBay]

Couldn't help but notice Jim "who the hell are you talking about?" Jeffords (I-VT) as one of the naysayers.

[marajade]

Bush should remember this one... and give up working with him...

[PhiKapMom]

As my paper, The Oklahoman, calls him "Jumpin' Jim Jeffords" everytime they reference him in an editorial! They consider him a turncoat and not worth much!

[PhiKapMom]

I was thinking the same thing and whoever runs against him in 2004 needs to remind the voters that same fact! What gets me is that their Presidential candidates except for Edwards didn't bother to vote! That speaks volumes IMHO!