As Kagro X often explains, there is a split between those who believe that motions to recommit are purely procedural and those who believe that they carry all of the meaning of a proper amendment. In this Congress, they have mostly been given the latter meaning.
In that context, the vote on the motion to recommit on tonight’s Iraq supplemental funding appropriation seems especially important to me. 223 Democrats voted no on that motion, which would have given the President $50B, no questions asked. They were joined by 8 Republicans.
To me it seems obvious that the Presidednt could be in dangerous territory: the House could actually have the votes to defeat ANY clean funding bill. We might, against all odds and predictions, actually be able to end the war during this Congress.
From my previous diary on ending the war in the House:
Just look at the last supplemental vote. In the Senate, Only 14 voted against the bill. Two of those Senators who voted no were Republicans, and they did not vote no because they wanted to end the war in Iraq. In other words, not even a quarter of the majority in that body considered taking a serious step to end the war.
In the House, we see a different picture. 142 members voted no. Most were Democrats. More than a majority of the majority voted against the funding. In other words, if we can convince Nancy Pelosi to operate the House under the “Hastert Rule,” which held that only bills supported by the majority of the majority would be given assistance by House leadership, then we can be much closer to defunding. To be sure, it is possible that Republicans will get a discharge resolution and pass the spending anyway, but if they do, then it least our Democratic majority will not be complicit in helping to extend the war.
Put the Senate out of your head. It’s the House that matters.
I would now only modify that to say that now we might not even need the support of the Speaker at all. Rank and file Democrats could save us from paying for a continuation of the war.
8 comments
Skip to comment form
Author
by ending the war.
source
Let’s see what she does with it now.
so I just wanted to pop a thank you in here after reading this for your grasp of Congressional procedural process and importance; those little things that CNN never seems to be able to inform us of or explain and that oftens leads average America to form a sort of notion that Congress is mystical magic 😉
believe any power we get will be from allies and rank and file. Our allies in the house plus the clamoring of the voters may turn the tide. Other good news? or just a dream I had DiFi caved on the FISA debacle? right?
On a personal level sorry I ran amok on some essay by Armando and badmouthed you. I actually find you both here and at Kos a young un’ to admire. Just got caught up in mixing it up with Armando. I guess he generates the cult of personality he abhors and I sometimes want to bite the hand that feeds me, as their are no Gods were all fools, especially this old codger.