Demo's Pull Future War Funding

[Nbadan]

Who says Demos can't be fiscal Conservatives?

Breaking: Reid Yanks Defense Authorization Bill To Force GOP's Hand
By Greg Sargent

Ratcheting up the stakes in the wake of the GOP's successful blocking of a vote on Iraq withdrawal just moments ago, Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that he won't allow a vote on the entire Defense Authorization bill until the Senate GOP drops its filibustering of votes on Iraq.

The move is significant because it could hold up the funding of the Pentagon's fiscal 2008 priorities until the standoff is resolved.

It comes only moments after the Republican filibuster succeeded in preventing a vote on the Reed-Levin amendment, which would have mandated withdrawal by April 2008.

Reid said:

I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.

But let me be clear to my Republican colleagues – I emphasize the word "temporarily". We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq. We will do everything in our power to complete consideration of a Defense Authorization bill. We must do both.

And just to remind my Republican colleagues – even if this bill had passed yesterday, its provisions would not take effect until October.

So we will come back to this bill as soon as it is clear we can make real progress. To that end, I have asked the Democratic Whip and Democratic Manager of the bill to sit down with their counterparts to work on a process to address all outstanding issues related to this bill so the Senate can return to it as soon as possible.

What this means is that Reid isn't allowing any votes on any other Iraq amendments -- not the toothless Warner-Lugar amendment, not the Ken Salazar amendment that would force adoption of the Baker-Hamilton plan, nothing.

Fellow TPM reporter Spencer Ackerman also says that Reid's move is very significant in another way:

Because the Pentagon's priorities won't become law until a Defense Authorization bill is passed, the Pentagon's fiscal 08 priorities won't get funded until this standoff is resolved -- and Reid is insisting that won't happen until the GOP allows a vote on the Iraq withdrawal measures. That's pretty significant.

Election Central

Hmmmmmm...I wonder if all those private contractors in Iraq will work for free?

Let's hope that the Demos don't lose their collective legislative-lunch and fund another military appropriations bill without any withdraw teeth....

[Wild Cobra]

I think most who vote democrat still have sound moinds for the most part. It is one thing to advocate pulling out, but detoothing the military?

Could this spell disaster for the democrats in the '08 elections?

[fyatuk]

It's not like Congress has the authority to dictate any troop movements anyway. Like McCain said, the most they can do is cut the funding, forcing Bush to pay for it out of the Pentagon's normal budget. Anything else is completely uncons utional.

Of course, at the same time Reid pulls the bill, he basically says there will be a vote on it before it gets to a critical timeframe, so it's sort of a toothless bite there. All show.

[xrayzebra]

Oh, well Murtha still wants his share.

Jack Baby's Earmark

[DarkReign]

Big Talk, No Show.

Dems in a nuts .

Let me clarify. Its not that I disagree with or am villifying them, but they are the most disorganized political party in America. How they continue to still be apart of the "Only Two" is beyond me.

But Repubs are slipping as well. There is dissention in both parties, which to be honest, I think is a good thing.

Someone in either party is going to actually have to take a risk at some point and try forming a coalition of both parties to try and get something meaningful done.