Sen Collins Seeks Political Cover on Iraq
Below is a press release from Senator Susan Collins in which she attempts to explain away her vote for cloture to end debate, or in this case to defend against a possible filibuster, and vote on the bill. 60 YEA votes were needed to move to a vote on this bill which would reduce forces in Iraq.
Senator McCain, McConnell, DeMint, Sessions, Inhofe, Hatch, Cornyn and others have expressed their support for victory in Iraq while most Democrats cannot abandon Iraq fast enough. Voting with the Democrats on this surrender provision were Collins, Hagel, Smith and Snowe.
Harry Reid appears in the NAY vote column likely as a result of his pulling this and all Iraq appropriations and other related matters off the floor. It may have been sort of a tantrum.
Some like to blame the minority party for obstructing bipartisanship but it is fool’s argument because Harry Reid in his leadership role is limiting and restricting all transactions in a manner that only allows his intentions to be honored. Fortunately, the minority party was able to maintain enough support to reshuffle Reid’s loaded deck.
Just like Senator Snowe the actions of Senator Collins, also from Maine, are in line with the Democrats on Iraq and the surrender strategy they support. This also includes Senator Hagel, the first to defect on the troops, and Senator Smith who also voted in favor of cloture.
Except for Senator Reid, Democrat of Nevada , and Senator Lieberman, technically an Independent, all other NAY votes on this closture were Republicans. It is sufficient to conclude all the YEA votes do not support the troops or victory in Iraq. Surrender actions here only provide incentive for the enemy which adds risk to the troops as well as the risk posed by the process of exiting Iraq under these conditions or having to return when the likely chaos after surrender and exit would dictate the necessity. All this could have been avoided with complete support up front and a shortened timeline to victory.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
SENATOR COLLINS VOTES AGAINST FILIBUSTER ON LEVIN-REED IRAQ PROVISION
Emphasizes need for a change in mission of our troopsJuly 18, 2007
Senator Susan Collins recently voted against a filibuster that blocked a vote on a proposal authored by Senators Carl Levin and Jack Reed calling for an abrupt withdrawal of troops from Iraq. She indicated, however, that she would have voted against the Levin-Reed amendment in its current form because of her opposition to some of its provisions.
“I am opposed to a filibuster of the Levin-Reed amendment,” Senator Collins said. “Consistent with my position throughout the entire Iraq debate, I believe that the Senate should have an opportunity to vote on all the policy alternatives on Iraq.”
“The debate on Iraq has been marred by harsh rhetoric and partisan gridlock. We need to forge a bipartisan strategy that redefines the mission of our troops and sets the stage for a significant but responsible withdrawal of American combat troops over the next year.
“I urge Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle to allow us to proceed to the bipartisan proposal that 14 of us have cosponsored to adopt the unanimous recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. This offers the best opportunity for a breakthrough in the stalemate over Iraq policy,” Senator Collins added.
“During the past seven months, I have called for a change in strategy in Iraq, and I have strongly opposed the President’s decision to send additional troops to Iraq. Therefore, I will also continue to press for consideration of a bipartisan amendment offered by Senator Ben Nelson and myself which would immediately require the President to change the mission of our troops away from combat and toward counter-terrorism operations, border security, and training Iraqi forces.”
Below is a history of Senator Collins’ cloture votes. Cloture requires 60 votes:
2/5 – Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 470 (Levin) – S. 470 expresses a number of Sense of the Senate provisions, including that the Senate disagrees with the `plan’ to augment our forces by 21,500, and that our overall military, diplomatic, and economic strategy should not be regarded as open-ended but rather as a new strategy conditioned upon the Iraqi government’s meeting delineated benchmarks agreed to by the Iraqi Prime Minister. It also amends the United States Policy in Iraq Act to require the President to report monthly to Congress respecting specified aspects of U.S. policy and military operations in Iraq until U.S. combat troops are redeployed from Iraq. Failed 49-47; Collins voted YES (Senators Collins and Coleman were the only Republicans to vote YES.)
2/17 – Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 574 (Reid) — The Senate had a rare Saturday session on Feb. 17 to vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 574, which is a Reid bill that expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect U.S. Armed Forces members who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and (2) Congress disapproves of President George W. Bush’s decision announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq. The bill amends the United States Policy in Iraq Act to require reports every 30 days on specified aspects of U.S. policy and military operations in Iraq until all U.S. combat brigades have been redeployed from Iraq. Failed 56-34; Collins voted YES.
3/14 – Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S.J. Res. 9 (Reid) – Passed 89-9; Collins voted YES.
.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
Question: On the Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Levin Amdt. No. 2087 )
Vote Number: 252 Vote Date: July 18, 2007, 11:04 AM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2087 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 (National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 )
Statement of Purpose: To provide for a reduction and transition of United States forces in Iraq.
Vote Counts: YEAs 52
NAYs 47
Not Voting 1
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs —52
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs —47
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Not Voting - 1
Johnson (D-SD)