Legislative Debate

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) used his first floor speech since the Presidents Day recess to call on Democrats to join Republicans in cutting spending.

"Between maintaining the status quo on spending or cutting spending, the choice could not be more clear," said McConnell Monday on the floor of the Senate.

House Republicans have passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of the 2011 fiscal year, which cuts $61 billion in spending. It now rests in the Senate. House Republicans are also putting together a stopgap measure that would fund the government for the next two weeks in order to prevent a government shutdown, should the measure fail to pass the upper chamber. The short-term measure cuts $4 billion in spending. 

McConnell proceeded to repeat a common refrain among Republicans, calling overspending and the deficit the "top threat to our economy."

"Washington's inability to live within our means is the greatest single threat to our future," said McConnell. "Democrats in Congress need to rethink the approach they have been taking up to now. Stop spending money we don't have." 

McConnell endorsed House Republicans' stopgap measure, and targeted President Obama's 2012 budget proposal for freezing the budget rather than making deep cuts.

"At no point in this projection does the government spend less than it brings in," said McConnell. "It doesn't even try. They want to spend hundreds of billions more than we bring in. And on, and on, and on."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also came to the floor, but limited his words to setting the Senate floor schedule for the rest of Monday.

The Senate remains in a period of morning business until 3.30 p.m.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz asked whether the "disparaging" term should be allowed, but Republicans continued to use it.

A Democratic proposal to increase funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission beyond the House Republican proposal for fiscal 2011 has led to sharp divides between the parties over whether to put more money into the agency.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) proposed adding $48 million more to the SEC budget, which the Republicans have proposed be set at $1.1 billion. Frank said more money is needed because Congress last year passed the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, giving the SEC more responsibilities.

But Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) had a long list of reasons at the ready for why Republicans are not interested. She said that despite having its budget more than double over the last decade, the SEC has missed two major Ponzi schemes and been unable to get its own financial books in order.

The House on Thursday afternoon continued to debate several funding limitation amendments to the FY 2011 spending bill, in anticipation of votes that are still expected later Thursday night.

Earlier in the afternoon, the House debated an amendment that would stop the government practice of paying the legal fees of litigants that successfully sue the government. The aim of this amendment, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), is to provide time to examine the extent to which this practice is encouraging environmental groups to repeatedly sue the government in order to generate a revenue stream.

The House on Thursday is expected to decide whether to prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from spending any money to implement its December decision to regulate the Internet.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) proposed an amendment to the FY 2011 spending bill that would block FCC funding for that purpose. Walden said on the floor that the government has so far had a hands-off approach to the Internet, and said there is "no crisis warranting departure from this approach."

Walden's amendment is a response to the FCC's so-called "net neutrality" initiative, under which the FCC says it will regulate the Internet to ensure that all traffic is treated equally. But Republicans have said the rule is just the beginning of what would turn into a heavy government hand that would stifle job growth and innovation.

Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.) argued that the FCC should be able to take some steps to regulate Internet traffic. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) added that the history of telecom companies shows that stagnant monopolies will form in these industries, and FCC regulation will help ensure the same thing does not happen with the Internet.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) agreed and said the absence of regulations will allow larger companies to carve up online territory and raise costs for consumers. "I think that your disdain for government is spilling over onto the Internet," Eshoo said. "This is so wrong, and it simply says to me that you don't get it."

But many Republicans who took to the floor argued that the amendment is a chance to keep the government away from the Internet.

"Congress must stop the FCC," said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.).

It is still possible for the Senate to complete the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding bill by Thursday night if senators cooperate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Wednesday night.

Reid’s remarks appeared to be targeted at Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) who indicated earlier in the afternoon that he would object to other senators’ amendments to protest Democrat’s objection to five of his own amendments.

Reid has scheduled a crucial test vote for Thursday morning. If that vote succeeds, the bill will enter the final phase before passage.

“We will see what happens after that,” said Reid.

Reid also offered a veiled threat, insisting he would hold the Senate open until it had finished its work on the reauthorization bill.

“I hope that we can work something out so we can finish tomorrow,” said Reid. “It would certainly be a doable thing.”

The floor has been dormant for most of the afternoon as members hash out agreements that will allow the bill to succeed in tomorrow’s vote.

There will be no more roll call votes on Wednesday. The Senate adjourned at 6:27 p.m. and will reconvene at 9:30 a.m on Thursday.  At 11 a.m. the Senate will vote on cloture on the FAA authorization bill and then proceed to votes on additional amendments.

Stay with the Floor Action Blog for complete coverage.

For the second time this week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) used his morning floor address to attack President Obama's proposed budget for 2012.

"It's more of the same," said McConnell. "More spending, more taxes, more borrowing. And we see this budget from a president who doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the crisis." 

Other members of the Republican Conference are seizing every possible opportunity to tear into the proposal.

During time designated for debate on the pending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill on Wednesday morning, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) criticized Obama for "raising taxes rather than cutting spending."

A few Republicans even used portions of their speeches supporting non-controversial judicial nominees to express horror at the spending levels in the president's proposed budget for fiscal 2012.

Several Democrats are standing by the president's five-year freeze on spending, although some lawmakers want further cuts and are worried the proposed budget doesn't do enough to cut the debt.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) took to the floor to voice their support.

"The president is trying to chart a course that moves us forward in a responsible way, cutting spending where it will not hurt economic recovery and growth, and investing with the federal funds we will spend in programs that count," said Durbin.

Reid spoke about the budget just once this week, during leader time on Tuesday, and offered support with minor reservations.

"What I found deep in this budget was affirmation of our principles," said Reid. "He did not just talk about tough choices, he made them."

But Reid added, "I do not agree with all of his choices. I disagree with some of his cuts."

Democrats on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly against a rule for considering legislation that would extend three Patriot Act surveillance authorities for three months, even though more than 60 Democrats voted on Monday to approve an extension for the rest of the year.

The House approved the rule by a 254-176 vote, with only about 19 Democrats joining all but four Republicans in the vote.

The lack of Democratic support occurred even though the Senate approved a three-month extension on Tuesday in an easy 86-12 vote.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) announced on the floor Wednesday that a deal has been reached on how many flights will be allowed in, and out of, Reagan National Airport.

The disagreement has been holding up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill for several weeks.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science amd Transportation Committee and floor manager for the FAA bill, said that in a "unhappy scenario," it was possible votes on final passage could be delayed until the beginning or March.

"In a perfect world we would have finished this bill already, without cloture," said Rockefeller in a floor speech. "[Flights pertaining to Reagan National Airport] are a very small part of this bill, but an important part."

Sources say the amendment dealing with the flights has not yet been made publicly available as the situation remains fluid. Hutchison noted in her floor speech that she and other senators worked late into the night on Tuesday to reach an accord.

"I hope our members know we will continue to work to address everyone's concerns," said Hutchison. "It is time to wind this bill down so we can go to conference with the House with a strong Senate position."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has expressed frustration that the Reagan Airport provision has tied up the FAA reauthorization measure.

Lawmakers from around Washington, D.C., area have sought to limit flights in and out of Reagan, clashing with other members who regularly arrive, and depart from the Northern Virginia airport.

The amendments would have trimmed the Pentagon's budget by several hundred million dollars.