WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate leaders announced a deal Tuesday to move forward on a stalled human trafficking bill, clearing the way for a vote on President Barack Obama’s attorney general nominee within days.
The deal unveiled on the Senate floor aimed to solve a dispute over abortion that has stalled the once-popular trafficking bill for weeks. Attorney General-designate Loretta Lynch was caught in the crossfire, infuriating Democrats, because Republican leaders decided to hold off on her confirmation vote until the trafficking bill was resolved.
“I’m glad we can say there is a bipartisan proposal that will allow us to complete action on this important legislation so we can provide help to the victims who desperately need it,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. He said he anticipated a vote on Lynch, who will become the nation’s first black female attorney general, “in the next day or so.”
The deal aims to address Democratic concerns that the legislation expands existing prohibitions on spending federal funds on abortions. Republicans had to be satisfied that those prohibitions were not curtailed.
“Let’s get out of this quickly,” said Democratic Leader Harry Reid. “Let’s get Loretta Lynch confirmed.”
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this concept that they need to make “deals” just to do the ordinary job of legislating stinks. trying to tie a bunch of totally divergent shit together is not governing it is weaseling. bring a piece of legislation up and vote it up or down. put your name on it. then the voters will know what you are all about. anything less is cowardly.
So what is the bipartisan deal on the trafficking bill?
It could just be the arcane language. Historically, so the mythology goes, everything that reaches the floor of the Senate’s main chamber in plenary session does so by some general consensus, accommodation, compromise, understanding or deal. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything has changed hands or any legislative agenda or initiative is affected, beyond the matter at hand.
An individual senator, usually one unbounded by a caucus or committee leadership role, more often than not one who no history advancing a great abiding interest (such as Ted Kennedy had with extending health care to the poor), will start moving thru the body’s internal offices, schmoozing, massaging the egos, pressing the flesh, working to a consensus to get enough of them ambling and waddling like antiquated heffalumps towards the chambers, if on no other firm basis than It’s good to talk, catch up, discuss future deals. And not even McConnell is able to stop this; House caucus ‘discipline’ has no reasonable counterpart in the Senate.
‘Well, eventually we’re gonna vote on Lynch. But first, a few of our fellow senators have speeches they want recorded. Then, we vote. No, I’m wrong: then we take lunch, we return around 8, then there’s a number of buildings that need re-naming to honor the Gipper, plus 10-15 minutes, maybe 40 of individual member video preening, then a pee break, coffee and cake in the alcoves, then we mingle, vote, mingle, and drift apart.’
Im still surprised the R wanted to keep Holder in his job longer than necessary.
I’m guessing that despite their public statements they realize/believe he’s not doing anything any other Dem nominated AG would do.