Senate Dems Follow Reid & Schumer, Vote For Promises To Troops, Then Filbuster Funding Them

Today in Washington, D.C. - June 18
The House reconvened at 9 AM today.

As of this article, the House today has already passed H.R. 160 — "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on medical devices."

Indication are that the House will recess early and reconvene tomorrow, June 19, at Noon.
Yesterday the House passed:
H.R. 2505 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the annual reporting of data on enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans."
H.R. 2507 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish an annual rulemaking schedule for payment rates under Medicare Advantage."
H.R. 2570 (Voice Vote) — "To establish a demonstration program requiring the utilization of Value-Based Insurance Design to demonstrate that reducing the copayments or coinsurance charged to Medicare beneficiaries for selected high-value prescription medications and clinical services can increase their utilization and ultimately improve clinical outcomes and lower health care expenditures."
H.R. 2582 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the risk adjustment under the Medicare Advantage program, to delay the authority to terminate Medicare Advantage contracts for MA plans failing to achieve minimum quality ratings, and for other purposes."

This morning, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued a statement in opposition to granting fast track trade authority to President Barack Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership:

"President Barack Obama already has all the authority he needs in the Constitution to negotiate any treaty he pleases with or without fast track — all fast track does is turn the Congressional ratification part of treaty making into a rubber stamp. I ask those who argue that fast track asserts Congressional authority to name another time when President Obama supported legislation that reined in his power. Anyone who believes that Obama would sign a fast track bill that limited his authority to rewrite the rules of the world simply hasn't been paying attention."
The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. Following an hour of morning business, the Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 1735 (280-140) - "The Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Authorization bill." Indication is that they will shaortly recess until tomorrow at Noon.

At 1:45 PM, the Senate voted 71-25 to pass H.R. 1735, as amended. Following that vote, Senate Democrats filibustered taking up H.R. 2685, the Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill.

So the Democrats are again playing games - finally agree to pass the Authorization Bill but then filbuster the actual funndign of the military via the Defense Appropriations bill.

Yesterday, the Senate adopted on the committee-passed McCain substitute amendment to the bill by voice vote and then voted 84-14 to invoke cloture on H.R. 1735.

After days of debate, the Senate this afternoon voted overwhelmingly to pass the Defense authorization bill (NDAA), with a vote of 71-25. That's a veto-proof majority. Speaking to senators on the floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called on Democrats to follow through on this vote and not filibuster the Defense appropriations bill, which will fund everything senators just voted for.

. . ."So now [Democrats] face a choice. Option 1: Allow the promise they made to our troops to be fulfilled, by voting for a bill they can't stop praising. Option 2: Break the promise they just made, by killing a bill they claim to love — all in service of some unrelated and completely incomprehensible partisan plan."

Sadly, but unsurprisingly, Senate Democrats chose the partisan path. Politico writes, "Senate Democrats plunged headfirst into an epic summer spending battle, blocking a defense funding bill on Thursday afternoon with their most aggressive use of the filibuster yet. The Democratic minority backed a strategy led by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his successor Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to block the $576 billion measure from even being debated on the floor. The minority blockaded the bill even though many Democrats supported the legislation in committee and touted its benefits for their home states."

In spite of their acknowledgement of the importance of the Defense appropriations bill, this afternoon, Sens. Murphy, Schatz, Booker, and 42 other Democrats voted to filibuster it, preventing the Senate from even taking it up for debate and amendment.

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