Senate

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would restrict political "robocalls" and require robocallers to identify themselves when calling potential voters. It would also allow lawsuits against robocallers who abuse the rules.

"Throughout recent elections, we have continued to hear stories about people being inundated with phone calls throughout the day and night," Feinstein said. "There is simply no good reason why Americans wanting a good night's sleep should be awakened at 4:30 in the morning by a robocall."

Ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Thursday attempted to halt further proceedings on the Veteran Affairs (VA) appropriations bill arguing that budgetary rules prohibit the Senate from taking up appropriations work without first passing a budget.

In response, Democratic Senate leadership scheduled two procedural votes for Thursday afternoon that are designed to overcome Session's objection.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is urging colleagues to waive the procedural point of order against a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill.

The bill itself is the least controversial of the 2012 spending bills and is almost identical to one that has already passed the House.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has raised a procedural point of order against proceeding to the bill and the Senate later today will vote on a cloture motion to proceed to the point of order vote. The point of order can be raised because no budget resolution has passed the Senate.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has written a budget raising $2 trillion in revenue but has not moved it through committee.

“The pressing needs of America’s veterans and military families must not fall victim to partisan gridlock over the budget,” Inouye said in a statement.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Thursday said the Senate is frozen and unable to pass a budget because most of his colleagues are nothing more than “two-bit pawns” already looking ahead to the 2012 elections.

“Basically most senators in this body are nothing but two-bit pawns … as a political fight is under way, basically, to lay out the groundwork, if you will, for a 2012 election,” said Corker from the floor.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) acted "childish" in the debt talks.

He is the the latest Democratic leader to accuse Cantor of impeding progress on negotiations to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. 

“House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has shown he shouldn't be at the table, and Republicans agree he shouldn't be at the table,” Reid said from the Senate floor. 

“We had negotiations going here in a room, S-219, a short jog from here, and he has walked out on the meetings with the vice president of the United States,” said the majority leader, recounting Cantor’s recent exit from the talks hosted by Vice President Biden. “It was childish.”

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would give the Treasury Department limited authority to issue enough securities to pay Social Security benefits in August if the debt limit is reached.

Nelson's bill, the Social Security Benefit Protection Act, is a reaction to comments from President Obama that he "cannot guarantee" that Social Security payments would be made on time if a debt-ceiling agreement is not reached by Aug. 3.

Schumer and Cantor continue to feud, with Schumer knocking the Republican leader from the Senate floor.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday both praised and criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) proposal to raise the debt ceiling.

“The substantive good news here is that the plan that Mitch McConnell offered, for its faults, makes the likelihood ... of not paying our bills … less likely,” said Schumer, who then criticized the plan as having "a good deal of fault to it."

The Senate voted to open debate on the Veteran Affairs appropriations bill Wednesday in a 89-11 vote.

H.R. 2055, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA) and Related Agencies appropriations bill, increases funding for the VA by 5.8 percent and cuts military construction spending by $2.6 billion to reflect anticipated base closures and realignments.

The 51-49 vote likely spells the end for the resolution to raise taxes on people earning $1 million or more.