UPDATE: The Senate voted 67-28 to end debate on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Only 60 ayes were required and 11 Republicans broke ranks to support it. 67 votes is also incidentally the number of votes the full Senate would need to ratify the agreement, which now seems nothing short of a foregone conclusion. A final vote is …
Senate
Morning Must Reads: Data
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski speaks to the media on the importance of net neutrality December 1, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
–The Federal Communications Commission is poised to approve “net neutrality” rules today that would restrict Internet service providers from speeding, slowing or blocking broadband …
Did Jon Stewart Turn the Tide on the 911 First Responders Bill?
In his last show of the year, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart took Congress and the media to task for not making the Zadroga bill a priority. Named for James Zadroga, a 911 first responder who died in 2006 of respiratory disease, the bill would create a trust fund to cover the health care costs of surviving police, firemen, emergency …
Morning Must Reads: Tell
Senator Joe Lieberman gives a thumbs up while arriving with Majority Leader Harry Reid for a press conference on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal on December 18. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
–The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will face a test vote on Tuesday, but the path to 67 votes and final ratification is steep now …
The Wives Win!
The end of the lame duck is in sight.
The House late last night passed the tax bill after progressives gave up their demands to strengthen the estate tax provision — demands that nearly brought down the bill. Members are sticking around Washington now, waiting until how the government is funded the next few months is resolved by the …
Morning Must Reads: Fees
The U.S. Capitol Dome is lit after the first significant snowfall of the season as the House of Representatives worked late into the evening on December 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang)
–The tax deal, including a two-year extension of all the Bush breaks, a temporary payroll tax cut, and assorted other cuts and credits, breezed …
Playing Chicken with Christmas
I can just imagine conversations going on between senators and their spouses right about now.
“Sweetie, I’m sorry, but I’m going to be stuck in Washington all of next week.”
“Darling, no way. You left me alone last year with your in-laws and the kids. I’m not doing another Christmas in Florida without …
House Tax Drama
House progressives just nearly brought down the Bush tax cuts bill over lingering anger at the compromise President Obama worked out with Senate Republicans. Democratic leaders had hoped that an amendment built into the package changing the estate tax provisions would sway enough liberals to vote to proceed to the bill and for the …
Morning Must Reads: Review
–As Mark reports, the Obama administration’s Afghan war review depicts a fragile effort nonetheless on track for draw-down starting next year. The Times gets a Taliban commander on record saying “the government has the upper hand now” in Kandahar.
–The standalone “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” repeal heads to the Senate as the tax deal …
Morning Must Reads: Holbrooke
(REUTERS/Mian Khursheed)
–Richard Holbrooke’s passing has prompted an outpouring of retrospectives full of awe and appreciation. Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s obituary, warm remembrances from Michael Elliot and Jeffrey Goldberg, George Packer’s recent profile, statements from countless public officials, and TNR’s compilation of works …
Tax Compromise Passes Senate Filibuster Hurdle
I was going to wait till the vote closed but after 3.5 hours, I lost my patience. By a vote of at least 83-15, the Senate invoked cloture on President Obama’s tax package. Those voting no were mostly Democratic: New Mexico’s Jeff Bingaman, Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold, Vermont’s Patrick Leahy, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Ohio’s Sherrod …
Will They Stay or Will They Go?
House Democrats have a decision to make this week: do they value messing with President Obama’s tax plan more than their Holiday plans? The Senate today is expected to vote on cloture on the tax plan, which would mean passage by Wednesday (assuming they get cloture, which seems likely). The House would then take up the measure Thursday …
Morning Must Reads: Coup
(White House/Pete Souza)
–Obama’s tax cut deal is poised to sail through the Senate today.
–What you missed Sunday: House Dems want to excise the estate tax concession. Rep. Van Hollen says they’re “not going to hold this thing up at the end of the day.” The White House doesn’t want to change anything.
–Treasury kicks the …