Marine Corps News, news from Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Senate takes last futile stab at defense bill

The Senate made a futile attempt Thursday to quickly pass its version of the 2009 defense authorization bill in a maneuver fraught with political overtones that had no real chance of succeeding.

The procedural motion to take up the bill fell short of the required 60 votes. The final tally was 51-39.

Debate on the annual defense bill traditionally takes a week or longer on the Senate floor, with hundreds of amendments considered, but Senate Democratic leaders were talking about spending just 10 minutes on the bill on the eve of adjourning for their summer recess without allowing any amendments.

A political motive was behind the motion, stemming from the Senate spending its last week of work before the five-week break bogged down in a battle over an energy bill. The vote to move on to S 3001, the 2009 defense authorization bill passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee April 30, was designed to put people holding up the energy bill — mostly Republicans — in a difficult spot by forcing them to vote against taking up the defense bill instead.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he had no problem voting against taking up the defense bill.

“This vote will be about whether we stay on the No. 1 subject in America and whether we then do the defense bill,” McConnell said.

Republicans have been delaying the energy bill because they want to vote on amendments involving offshore drilling that Democrats have blocked.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., attacked Republicans for blocking the defense bill, saying they “have once again run away from an important debate, failing to back up their words with action.”

“Despite their strong rhetoric on supporting our troops, they have refused to give them a well-deserved pay raise, denied our troops mine-resistant vehicles to keep them safe and said no to ensuring our servicemen and women get the health care they need,” Reid said.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, said the defense policy bill is important because it authorizes a military pay raise, increases in benefits and a wide range of other issues. Levin said finding time to finish the bill in September, when Congress returns, and getting it to President Bush for his signature, will be difficult.

That is largely because congressional leaders are promising that once lawmakers return from the summer recess, Congress will be in session only three weeks before taking another break for the fall election campaigns.

Leaders initially had hoped the Senate would pass its version of the defense authorization bill before the August break so that negotiations with the House, which passed its version in May, could be completed in September. Now, the Senate delay makes final passage of a compromise bill almost impossible before the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1.

Congressional leaders are talking about having lawmakers return after the November elections to pass a final version of the defense bill in what is known as a lame-duck session.

Levin said the defense bill is essential legislation.

“We have never not passed an authorization bill,” he said. “By law, we must pass an authorization bill or else all the authorities which are critically important to the men and women in uniform are not going to be passed.”