Eyes turn to Senate for defense debates

lilbawler2001 · 06-07-2010, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Now that the House has passed its defense authorization bill, attention turns to the Senate as it prepares to take up the mammoth policy legislation for fiscal 2011.

While the Senate Armed Services Committee’s bill contains nothing at this point that would trigger a presidential veto, there will be internal fights over several provisions, the most polarizing over the repeal of the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Republicans are eyeing a provision that would require all service chiefs to certify that repeal — allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly — can be implemented consistent with the military’s standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion and recruitment and retention.

The way the congressional provisions are written now, only President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen have to provide that certification.

In letters solicited by Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz), the service chiefs said that they wanted Congress to delay voting on the issue until Dec. 1, after the Pentagon finishes a review of how the military should carry out the changes. That puts them at sharp odds with the White House.

Gay-rights groups fighting for repeal have called a potential amendment that expands the certification process to include the service chiefs “a killer amendment” that would delay open service for years.

Even if supporters for repeal avoid such an amendment and have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate that ensures passage, the bill will be in the hands of a Senate-House conference committee.

The conference committee will also have to wrestle with authorized funding for a secondary F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine that the Pentagon does not want. The administration has threatened to veto any defense bill containing funds for the engine made by General Electric and Rolls-Royce. So far the threats seem real, and the gay ban repeal does not appear to be a good buffer to avoid the veto.

Another McCain-backed provision mandating that the president deploy 6,000 National Guard troops to the Southwest border will ignite floor debate of the defense authorization bill. The amendment was proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) during the markup of the defense authorization bill, but has strong support from McCain, whose state of Arizona has some of worst violence related to the drug trade.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/1...policy-debates

WhiteNoise · 06-07-2010, 06:07 PM

Let's hope the Dream Act gets attached. Durbin better not bitch out.

Mona Lisa · 06-07-2010, 06:19 PM

When will we know if it gets attached ?

Sonawabich · 06-07-2010, 07:00 PM

If it gets attached, passes and becomes law, I'll paypal you three $100 each. Its lotsa money and I am short in cash/unemployed/student. But I'll do it.

Mona Lisa · 06-07-2010, 07:03 PM

Aw, but someone tell me when will we know if it gets attached ?

fd314 · 06-07-2010, 07:43 PM

I will cut my ear and sacrifice it to Hades as a sign of good luck...here i go....*cutting ear off*......*screaming*....

OrlandoDREAM Act · 06-07-2010, 10:13 PM

there are many ways material girl. there is a process that is open for all to see. it comes up and the cmte allows it. and then there is the process of putting it in there at the last minute when nobody is paying attention. and it can also be taken out at the last minute. so we won't know until it leaves the chamber. and oh yeah, then you have conference where it can also be taken out or get amended.

dado123 · 06-07-2010, 11:08 PM

someone , elected official, do something,,,!

Abaddon · 06-07-2010, 11:39 PM

Do they have a set time to debate and add amendments to the defense bill?

withchemicals · 06-08-2010, 02:37 PM

Not sure when the adding of amendments to the defense bill will happen, but it seems that Schumer wants to scale down the climate bill and pass it in the form of an amendment as well (according to the Washington Post).

I'm not sure if this is going to be his general political strategy that he may employ for the DA as well. From what I see, Schumer and his PR representatives like to tell media and the public that they're attempting to take a comprehensive approach that solves the big issue but in actuality plan on employing piecemeal legislation in the form of amendments, as certainly evidenced by his plans for the climate bill (and perhaps the general consensus for the DREAM Act as well).

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Eyes turn to Senate for defense debates