Senate - February 7, 2007
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Categories: 110th Congress | United States Congress | United States Senate
| Daily Summary | |
|---|---|
| Senate - February 7, 2007 - week 6 | |
| 110th - United States Congress | |
| |
| Senate Majority Leader | Harry Reid |
| Minority Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Previous | Tuesday -February 6, 2007 |
| Next | Thursday - February 8, 2007 |
This is the Daily Summary of the actions in United States Senate in the 110th United States Congress for February 7, 2007 during week 6 of the 1st term of this Congress. For a summary of the actions in the House click here, and for Congress as a whole on this date, click here.
Contents |
Senate Daily Summary
On Wednesday February 7, the Senate continued floor discussions about moving to debate the Warner-Levin non-binding resolution in opposition to Bush's escalation of troops in Iraq.
Majority Leader Harry Reid noted noted while laying out the Senate's schedule for the day, that dragging out the debate on the resolution was in essence a tactic of running out the clock, since the more troops moved over there prior to the vote, the more difficult it will be for the Senate to say don't send the troops when Bush has already sent them. He also noted that in the budget Bush submitted the previous day, the suplimental funding for the war would bring it to over half a trillion dollars, this after it was revealed the previous day that a large portion of some 363 tons of cash—in $100 bill denominations—which had been shipped to the CPA under Paul Bremer, simply went missing. Aside from the monetary waste, Reid noted that the Sea Knight helicopter lost earlier in the day in Iraq, in conjunction with an AP report which stated that ore Americans have been killed in combat in Iraq over the last 4 months than in any comparable stretch since the war began, underscored the point that the war is becoming an escalating disaster.
The Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell responded by intimating the process was unfair, because his side of the aisle voted to not move forward with debate on the Warner-Levin non-binding resolution, which though introduced by Republican John Warner of Virginia, he now calls the "Levin proposal". McConnell insisting that unless they are allowed to bring as a substitute the so-called "Gregg amendment" to the floor, this would prove that the minoirty are being treated fairly in the model of the Senate's deliberative process and tradition, which—despite his floor rhetoric—would be rather hypocritical much less inaccurate, given how the Democrats were almost entirely shut-out of the process in the 109th Congress.
The Senate then moved on to morning business, with Senator Judd Gregg-R (NH) being the first up during the minorities alloted 30 minutes time, and argued that his "amendment"—which has not even been introduced formally in the Senate—not being allowed as an alternate to the Warner-Levin resolution, is proof that the Democratic leadership is afraid to vote to "support he troops". He frames his argument that not voting for his "amendment" would not be supporting the troops in the field, yet the language he states that would be in his "amendment" states that the Senate would not de-fund the Iraq War, thus making it a political trap. If Senators voted against his "amendment" they would be exposed to attacks of not "supporting the troops" yet if they support the Gregg "amendment" they are committing themselves on the record to rubber-stamp funding the escalation and the Iraq War.
Senator John Cornyn-R (TX) was up next and put forth the assertion that becuase the Senate unanimiously supported the conformation of General David Petraeus to be in command of the coalition forces in Iraq, there is support for the escalation in the Senate. Cornyn proceeded to quote neoconservative "Democrat" Victor Davis Hanson's article in the National Review entitled "Give Petraeus a Chance." which argues that in essence there is only a military solution in the near-term in Iraq. He then went on to support the Gregg "amendment" using the wounded at Walter Reed as a justification to support the Gregg "amendment" claiming it would be surreal to tell the troops who have been wounded or even killed in the war, that the Senate no longer supports the military mission in Iraq.
Next up was Senator David Vitter-R (LA) who argued that the minority was being more than accommodating by insisting on the Gregg "amendment" be brought up as an alternative, and claiming that Reid was stifling debate and not allowing the minority to choose what they could offer. Following Vitter, Mel Martinez-R (FL) took the floor and framed arguemnts in support of the President's plan to escalte toop levels in Iraq by framing it as response to 9/11 and fundamental to the "war on terror". He then focuses onal-Qaeda in Iraq, claiming "regardless of how someone might have felt about the original decision to go into Iraq, and we are engaging an enemy that is the very enemy that attacked us here on 9/11." He then echoed the claim that the unanimous support in confirming General Petraeus means we should also support the escalation and the President "new way forward" strategy. He goes on to argue that in light of the recent NIE, a precipitous withdrawal (which is not being advocated) would be a disaster. He also argues against the non-existent position that leaving the region (again something which is not being advocated by anyone) would have dire consequences.
On the Floor
- Schedule
- Harry Reid (Majority Leader) on the days schedule
- Mitch McConnell (Minority Leader) speaks on XXXX
- Morning Business
- Legislative Session
In the Committees
The above link is to the consolidated congressional record of what occured in any Senate committees that had activity on this date.
- Note: This area's structure and format are still in development. The above header text will become a link to a culled and consolidated portions congressional record of the committees of the Senate that had activity on the date this page is about. This blurb here will also eventually have a format on how to link to the relevant committee articles in the Congressional Committees Project. I envision that the portions of the congressional record that will be at this link (formated similar to the floor portions of the record would be a also utilized (and with luck, maintained by those signing up for the various committees by that project.
- This note should be removed when content is added, by removing the {{Senate Daily Committees-NO CONTENT}} code from the article this message appears within.
Resources
See also
References
External Links
- The United States Senate - Offical Gov. Site
- Recent bills introduced in Congress - THOMAS
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