Sen. Sesssions Delays Initial Votes on Immigration Amendments
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and at least one other Republican Senator used a procedural move today to block the first votes on amendments to S. 744, the comprehensive amnesty bill. Under Senate rules, unanimous consent is required for various purposes, including the scheduling of amendments. Sen. Sessions used the body’s rules to thwart the first votes.
Sen. Sessions told the Capitol Hill newspaper Politico, “Well, we’re asking some questions. We’re reviewing the situation right now. We want to see what kind of a procedure the leader intends to use with regard to the opportunity to offer amendments, too.”
Reid subsequently asked consent to line up five Republican amendments for votes, but he asked for 60-vote thresholds on the measures. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the Republican floor manager for the bill, objected and countered with a similar request using a simple majority vote threshold. However, Reid denied him.
In response Sen. Grassley said, “It’s amazing to me that the majority has touted this immigration bill process as one that is open and regular order, but right out of the box … they want to subject our amendments to a filibuster-like 60-vote threshold. So I have to ask who is obstructing now? There is no reason, particularly in this first week, at the beginning of the process, to be blocking our amendments with a 60-vote margin that’s required when you suppose there is a filibuster.”
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