March 17, 2014

SENATE DEMS MOVE TO LIMIT AMENDMENTS ON DEFENSE AUTH. BILL

By ExchangeMonitor

Hundreds of amendments to the Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Authorization Act have been filed, but an agreement on which amendments will be taken up hasn’t been reached and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) moved yesterday to cut off debate on the bill. Reid last night filed a motion for cloture on the bill, which would limit the amount of time spent on the bill, though final approval of the bill could be pushed past Thanksgiving with the Senate set to leave Washington Friday for the holidays. Reid’s plan, however, has rankled Republicans, who have criticized him for limiting the amount of amendments that might be voted on. “We’re not really conducting the business of the country if we’re limiting the ability of members of the Senate to offer amendments,” Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said yesterday.

A handful of nuclear-related amendments continued to be filed, including legislation authored by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) that would require the creation of a separate budget plan for the cost of implanting the New START Treaty. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) also filed a pair of amendments that would reinforce Senate support of the B61 life extension program, while Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) filed an amendment that would block nuclear reductions with countries out of compliance with its existing nuclear arms reduction obligations.

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