House Debating Key Amendment Right Now

Congressman Markey's amendment will not come before the House floor, but there is an amendment offered by Congressman Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, that substitutes the Senate version of the 9/11 bill for the current House version.

The Senate version of the bill has a stronger national intelligence director with budgetary and personnel authority, strengthens anti-nuclear programs, and generally follows the 9/11 Commission's recommendations much more closely than the House bill. It does not contain the anti-immigration or torture-outsourcing legalization provisions of the House bill. It passed the Senate by a 96-2 vote. All members of the 9/11 commission support the Senate version, as does the 9/11 Families Steering committee.

I'm watching on C-Span right now. I'll update if anything important happens.

I don't know if Congress' offices are open this late, even when the House is in session, but it might be worth calling to check. It's one of the last chances; the vote on the amendment and the final vote on the bill may be tonight. If you call, start by asking their position on the Menendez substitute & saying you support it strongly.

I have absolutely no idea how the vote will come out. I am pretty sure almost all, if not all, of the Democrats will support it. It all depends on the moderate Republicans. If you get in touch with a Congressman and find out their position, please post it in comments.

Comments

[Katherine]

It looks pretty empty right now, so perhaps this amendment will not be close, in which case we'll lose.

God, you tend to think it's all Hastert and DeLay but 3/3 of GOP house members so far have been fairly disgusting.

[felixrayman]

Hey Katherine,

Thanks for the work you've put in to covering this. It's a pretty important issue to me and the mainstream press as usual has dropped the ball on it - if it was up to them I would have never even known about it.

Whatever happens with the bill, thanks again for the info.

[Katherine]

Okay, are DeLay and Hastert trying to write the worst bill imaginable?

The Senate version increases funding for securing loose nuclear weapons. The House version proposes a study.

6/7 disgusting Republicans thus far. I suspect Duncan Hunter was full of it too, but he was less transparently full of it.

[Katherine]

I'm very curious to understand how Al Qaeda will use the knowledge of the total annual intelligence budget to attack us.

I mean, what's next, are we going to take New York City off maps so Al Qaeda can't use it? Take down subway maps so they don't fall into enemy hands?

No one has spoken directly about the immigration provisions yet.

[Katherine]

Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, supports the amendment. He may be the only one.

Democrats were given exactly 30 minutes to argue for their amendment.

[Katherine]

I'm 99% sure that this will fail on a nearly party line vote. I can't take it anymore; I'm watching the Daily Show. (Though Jon Stewart is getting in the same state I've been in for the last two years.)

By the way, Bush supported the House version. 3 pages of objections to establish deniability, but he recommended that the House pass the Hastert-DeLay bill & not the amendment to substitute the Senate version. He wants it to go to conference. He is therefore responsible for whatever comes out of the conference.

[Nell Lancaster]

By the way, Bush supported the House version. 3 pages of objections to establish deniability, but he recommended that the House pass the Hastert-DeLay bill & not the amendment to substitute the Senate version. He wants it to go to conference. He is therefore responsible for whatever comes out of the conference.

What's the document you're referring to here?

Thomas.loc.gov seems to say that the House will take this up again today, so calls might still have an effect?

10/7/2004 9:44pm: The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

10/8/2004 12:08am: Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 10 as unfinished business.

Reps. heard to mutter as they drift from the floor: "Had to miss the Daily Show and still no final vote.."

I deeply appreciate the work you've put into this, Katherine.

[Jesurgislac]

I deeply appreciate the work you've put into this, Katherine.

Seconded.

[Nell Lancaster]

Cong. update: Looking more deeply into Thomas, the Menendez substitute failed last night 203-213. Roll call here.

Take numbers.

[hilzoy]

"I deeply appreciate the work you've put into this, Katherine."

Thirded, and if strength of feeling translated into numbers, I'd get us up to the hundreds at least.

[Anarch]

Fourthed. I can't bring myself to watch this sort of thing any more; I'm glad someone still can.