On an average day, any C-SPAN viewer would know how senators voted in real time because votes are read aloud. (See our post on the six senators who appear to have changed their votes.) But on Wednesday, the clerks did not name names. Instead of announcing the rolling vote tally as the vote went along on the critical motion to limit debate on the debt limit measure, senators were allowed to cast their votes in relative secrecy.Turns out one of my Senators didn't vote at all. I guess once you announce your impending retirement, it's not so important to get around to voting on the future of the nation.
Our Representatives in Washington
Hey, how'd you vote on that bill to spend tons of money?
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2 comments:
My senators are Cornyn and Cruz. Cornyn voted for cloture. Cruz forced a real vote so each senator would have to be accountable; they'd much rather have skated by with an acclamation.
The Senate voted along party lines – 55-43 – to increase the debt limit.
Hard to know that by acclimation. What Cruz did was force a cloture vote for...whatever. I'm becoming less and less enamored of his tactical acumen.
The House passed the increase similarly along party lines, with enough Republican votes (by the leadership, so the rank and file wouldn't have to take the hits) to get a bare majority.
The Republicans knew they couldn't force any conditions onto a ceiling increase--those 55 Democrats and "Independents" in the Senate--so, for good or ill, they forced the party line aspect to force the Democrats to own the increase and the economic outcomes for the coming two elections. And to keep the campaign discussions focused on Obama's Obamacare, his failed jobs and economic policies, and (a distant third in the public's mind, unfortunately) his failed foreign...activities.
On another item, if the NLMSM is upset at the turned off microphones during the cloture roll call, that can't have been an all bad tactic.
Eric Hines
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