Just watched it on CSPAN. 74 Yeas, 25 Nays. Roll call to come.
UPDATE: Here you go:
Now it’s back to the House for a vote on Friday. Republican opposition is supposedly softening.
Let’s avoid that, hmm?
Flood those phone lines. Crash the inboxes. Michelle has the phone numbers, which you need to make sure you call, because Democrats are already trying to buy the 12 votes they need to bail themselves out.
Aderholt R AL legislator No 202-225-4876
Akin R MO legislator No 202-225-2561
Alexander R LA legislator No 202-225-8490
Bachmann R MN legislator No 202-225-2331
Barrett (SC) R SC legislator No 202-225-5301
Bartlett (MD) R MD legislator No 202-225-2721
Barton (TX) R TX legislator No 202-225-2002
Biggert R IL legislator No 202-225-3515
Bilbray R CA legislator No 202-225-0508
Bilirakis R FL legislator No 202-225-5755
Bishop (UT) R UT legislator No 202-225-0453
Blackburn R TN legislator No 202-225-2811
Boustany R LA legislator No 202-225-2031
Broun (GA) R GA legislator No 202-225-4101
Brown-Waite, Ginny R FL legislator No 202-225-1002
Buchanan R FL legislator No 202-225-5015
Burgess R TX legislator No 202-225-7772
Burton (IN) R IN legislator No 202-225-2276
Buyer R IN legislator No 202-225-5037
Capito R WV legislator No 202-225-2711
Carter R TX legislator No 202-225-3864
Chabot R OH legislator No 202-225-2216
Coble R NC legislator No 202-225-3065
Conaway R TX legislator No 202-225-3605
Culberson R TX legislator No 202-225-2571
Davis (KY) R KY legislator No 202-225-3465
Davis, David R TN legislator No 202-225-6356
Deal (GA) R GA legislator No 202-225-5211
Dent R PA legislator No 202-225-6411
Diaz-Balart, L. R FL legislator No 202-225-4211
Diaz-Balart, M. R FL legislator No 202-225-2778
Doolittle R CA legislator No 202-225-2511
Drake R VA legislator No 202-225-4215
Duncan R TN legislator No 202-225-5435
English (PA) R PA legislator No 202-225-5406
Fallin R OK legislator No 202-225-2132
Feeney R FL legislator No 202-225-2706
Flake R AZ legislator No 202-225-2635
Forbes R VA legislator No 202-225-6365
Fortenberry R NE legislator No 202-225-4806
Foxx R NC legislator No 202-225-2071
Franks (AZ) R AZ legislator No 202-225-4576
Frelinghuysen R NJ legislator No 202-225-5034
Gallegly R CA legislator No 202-225-5811
Garrett (NJ) R NJ legislator No 202-225-4465
Gerlach R PA legislator No 202-225-4315
Gingrey R GA legislator No 202-225-2931
Gohmert R TX legislator No 202-225-3035
Goode R VA legislator No 202-225-4711
Goodlatte R VA legislator No 202-225-5431
Graves R MO legislator No 202-225-7041
Hall (TX) R TX legislator No 202-225-6673
Hastings (WA) R WA legislator No 202-225-5816
Hayes R NC legislator No 202-225-3715
Heller R NV legislator No 202-225-6155
Hensarling R TX legislator No 202-225-3484
Hoekstra R MI legislator No 202-225-4401
Hulshof R MO legislator No 202-225-2956
Hunter R CA legislator No 202-225-5672
Issa R CA legislator No 202-225-3906
Johnson (IL) R IL legislator No 202-225-2371
Johnson, Sam R TX legislator No 202-225-4201
Jones (NC) R NC legislator No 202-225-3415
Jordan R OH legislator No 202-225-2676
Keller R FL legislator No 202-225-2176
King (IA) R IA legislator No 202-225-4426
Kingston R GA legislator No 202-225-5831
Knollenberg R MI legislator No 202-225-5802
Kuhl (NY) R NY legislator No 202-225-3161
Lamborn R CO legislator No 202-225-4422
Latham R IA legislator No 202-225-5476
LaTourette R OH legislator No 202-225-5731
Latta R OH legislator No 202-225-6405
Linder R GA legislator No 202-225-4272
LoBiondo R NJ legislator No 202-225-6572
Lucas R OK legislator No 202-225-5565
Mack R FL legislator No 202-225-2536
Manzullo R IL legislator No 202-225-5676
Marchant R TX legislator No 202-225-6605
McCarthy (CA) R CA legislator No 202-225-2915
McCaul (TX) R TX legislator No 202-225-2401
McCotter R MI legislator No 202-225-8171
McHenry R NC legislator No 202-225-2576
McMorris Rodgers R WA legislator No 202-225-2006
Mica R FL legislator No 202-225-4035
Miller (FL) R FL legislator No 202-225-4136
Miller (MI) R MI legislator No 202-225-2106
Moran (KS) R KS legislator No 202-225-2715
Murphy, Tim R PA legislator No 202-225-2301
Musgrave R CO legislator No 202-225-4676
Myrick R NC legislator No 202-225-1976
Neugebauer R TX legislator No 202-225-4005
Nunes R CA legislator No 202-225-2523
Paul R TX legislator No 202-225-2831
Pearce R NM legislator No 202-225-2365
Pence R IN legislator No 202-225-3021
Petri R WI legislator No 202-225-2476
Pitts R PA legislator No 202-225-2411
Platts R PA legislator No 202-225-5836
Poe R TX legislator No 202-225-6565
Price (GA) R GA legislator No 202-225-4501
Ramstad R MN legislator No 202-225-2871
Rehberg R MT legislator No 202-225-3211
Reichert R WA legislator No 202-225-7761
Renzi R AZ legislator No 202-225-2315
Rogers (MI) R MI legislator No 202-225-4872
Rohrabacher R CA legislator No 202-225-2415
Ros-Lehtinen R FL legislator No 202-225-3931
Roskam R IL legislator No 202-225-4561
Royce R CA legislator No 202-225-4111
Sali R ID legislator No 202-225-6611
Scalise R LA legislator No 202-225-3015
Schmidt R OH legislator No 202-225-3164
Sensenbrenner R WI legislator No 202-225-5101
Shadegg R AZ legislator No 202-225-3361
Shimkus R IL legislator No 202-225-5271
Shuster R PA legislator No 202-225-2431
Smith (NE) R NE legislator No 225-6435
Smith (NJ) R NJ legislator No 202-225-3765
Stearns R FL legislator No 202-225-5744
Sullivan R OK legislator No 202-225-2211
Terry R NE legislator No 202-225-4155
Thornberry R TX legislator No 202-225-3706
Tiahrt R KS legislator No 202-225-6216
Tiberi R OH legislator No 202-225-5355
Turner R OH legislator No 202-225-6465
Walberg R MI legislator No 202-225-6276
Wamp R TN legislator No 202-225-3271
Westmoreland R GA legislator No 202-225-5901
Whitfield (KY) R KY legislator No 202-225-3115
Wittman (VA) R VA legislator No 202-225-4261
Young (AK) R AK legislator No 202-225-5765
Young (FL) R FL legislator No 202-225-5961
Democrat corruption got us into this mess. And if this bill passes, they’ll get away with it scot free. Taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill. Make sure to call all of the numbers listed above. They’re the ones that voted no last time and need to hold the line. Remind them of that.
It’s nice to see Republicans show some cojones for once. They seem so content to just meekly accept whatever BS Democrats hand them, so this was music to my ears!
Senate Republicans have threatened to block nearly all other bills pending before the August recess if Democrats refuse to vote with them on expanding offshore drilling.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said bills that do not pertain to energy can wait until after the August recess, with gas prices now surpassing $4 per gallon. McConnell and top Republicans indicated Wednesday they would oppose any procedural votes to take up other legislation, which require 60 votes to succeed.
“We think there is nothing more important that we can do right now than to deal with the Number One issue of the country,” McConnell said. “This is the biggest issue since terrorism right after 9/11. People are pounding on their desks, saying, Why don’t these people get together and do something about this problem?”
The hardball tactics reflect Republican confidence that they can pull off a major election-year victory with gas prices at record highs, after they have been battered at the polls and have lost on several recent high-profile legislative battles.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) planned for the Senate this week to pass a bill targeting market speculation on oil futures, which both sides blame for playing a role in driving up gasoline prices.
Following swift Senate action on the narrow energy bill, Reid wanted the Senate to approve a massive defense authorization bill, an overhaul of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, legislation to protect reporters’ sources, an extension of expiring energy tax incentives, and a major package of 33 bills held up by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).
But Republicans are planning to keep the Senate on the energy issue until their demands are resolved. The massive housing-rescue package might be the only other measure that gets valuable floor time before the August recess.
Democrats say the GOP is intentionally prolonging the debate in order to score political points by insisting on more than two dozen amendments to the oil-speculation bill. Democrats, who say opening up new lands won’t affect prices for a decade and are concerned about its environmental impacts, have offered the GOP one amendment to the oil-speculation bill.
But the GOP is positioning itself as the party willing to do whatever it takes to lower gas prices. The Republicans say Democrats are scared to cast votes on new drilling in the face of voter anger over high gasoline prices, and they point to the majority’s decision to scrap appropriations bills to avoid a debate over lifting the congressional ban on drilling along the Outer Continental Shelf.
McConnell said the Senate will be in session in September and will have time then to finish outstanding issues.
“Our goal is to stay on the subject that the American people are demanding that we do something about and finish the job,” McConnell said.
Of course, this probably isn’t that big a deal to Senate Democrats, as they’re pretty much doing jack right now anyway. But doing this is a brilliant move for Republicans. It puts major pressure on Democrats to finally act, something they’re reluctant to do for God knows what reason. I can only speculate, but my guess would be that it’s because Democrats are anxious to make things are miserable for Americans as possible in hopes of gaining victory in November. They couldn’t possibly act to improve the lives of American citizens when it’s an election year!
The thing is, people are paying twice as much for gas as they were before Democrats seized control of Congress. Democrats know that this is a major issue, but they’ve invested in the anti-drilling position. Yet two-thirds of voters support domestic drilling, and Democrats don’t want to go home to their angry constituents as the Senator who voted against offshore drilling. So the solution is simply to do nothing, to take no action whatsoever and find excuses for their failure to take action. They’ve done nothing but block production while doling out empty promise after empty promise for decades, and time is now up. The ultimatum brought forth by Republicans was a genius move, and, if Reid & Co are smart, it will force Democrats to finally face the issue.
Americans overwhelmingly are for domestic drilling and energy independence. It’s time for Democrats to decide whether or not they truly want energy independence or not. No more pussy-footing around the issue. The buck stops here.
The Hill is reporting that the Senate phones have crashed due to a “modest increase” in calling:
Many Senate office phones were down Thursday morning due to a “modest increase in call volume,” according to an e-mail from the Senate assistant sergeant at arms and the chief information officer.
Opponents of the bipartisan immigration reform bill that stalled in the Senate after a 46-53 cloture vote this morning said foes of the bill had flooded Senate offices with phone calls.
“The Verizon telephone switch[board] serving the Senate is experiencing problems that are being exacerbated by this morning’s modest increase in call volume,” says the e-mail, which was sent at 9:45 a.m.
Verizon is attempting to resolve problems and the voicemail system has been temporarily disconnected from the telephone switchboard.
“Calls will still go to the voice mail system, but callers will receive the generic voice mail greeting (‘You have reached the United States Senate voice messaging service …’) rather than the voice mail greeting of the person or office being called,” the notice continued.
It is unknown when the telephones and voicemail service will be up and running again.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer could not be reached for comment.
Yet, a good number of Senators — even with so many calls saying they don’t support this bill — still don’t get it. Hopefully this thing will die for good now.
In the meantime, let’s enjoy the picture of the day:
John Hawkins liveblogged the cloture vote in the Senate over at Right Wing News.
End result? We win, with 46 nay and 53 yea.
Here’s some advice, folks — and this is from someone who fought this bill as hard as anyone on the net.
Be magnanimous in victory.
Remember the people who fought for us all along, like Jim DeMint, Tom Coburn, David Vitter, Jeff Sessions and some of the other people who played a smaller, but still significant role, like Elizabeth Dole and John Cornyn.
Don’t forget that the House Republicans stepped up when it counted and sent a message to the Senate by opposing amnesty.
Keep in mind that John Ensign, the head of the RNSC, voted for cloture when it counted — and he let people know his decision before the vote started. So, he didn’t just go with flow once he saw the bill was going to lose, like Sam Brownback and some of the others. Tossing a few bucks the NRSC’s way as a thank-you wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
Last but not least, take a day and drink in the victory. It took way too long and it was way too hard, but the American people won out in the end. Take a little time to be happy about that.
PS: Here’s a piece of free advice for George Bush and the Republican senators who ended up on the wrong end of this bill: You need to get right with your base and with the American people — and you need to do it in a hurry.
Here’s the roll call:
Team America:
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (D-OH)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Team Mexico:
Akaka (D-HI)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
From the Senate, here is the roll call for today’s cloture vote.
Team Mexico - 64:
Akaka (D-HI)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Brownback (R-KS)
Burr (R-NC)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
Team America - 35:
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bunning (R-KY)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Some senators will vote for cloture, but then against the bill, because they think we are all too stupid to understand what they are doing. Remember folks, keep the pressure on.
Call or e-mail them here.
Call the National Republican Senatorial Committee at (202) 675-6000 and the Republican National Committee at (202) 863-8500 (option 1).
Let them know you won’t support any senator who supports this bill. Maybe also throw in that you’ll be on board for John Hawkins’ Payback Project. If this bill passes, I know I will be.
Over at Right Wing News, John Hawkins has an interview with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign:
John Hawkins: Sure, I understand. Give me an estimate of how many calls, emails, and faxes that you think the RNSC has received over the immigration issue and maybe what the for and against ratio has been.
John Ensign: The number of calls to our personal offices as well as to the NRSC are overwhelming and they are overwhelmingly against the bill. It’s, I don’t know, …a hundred to one against.
John Hawkins: If the Senate amnesty bill passes, Tom Tancredo has pledged to campaign against senators who vote for it. You probably know. I’ve set up a website called The Payback Project to do the same thing. The number of (commenters) I’ve seen around the blogosphere who’ve commented that they’re either going to stay home in 2008 or throw their vote away on a third party has been enormous. According to Rasmussen, the public opposes this bill 2 to 1. Given all that, don’t you think it’s fair to say that if this bill passes, isn’t it pretty safe to say that some Republican senators will lose their job as a result?
John Ensign: Well, first of all, I want to see the final version. I don’t think people should judge the final version. I’m against the bill as it currently stands. But, if we can make some changes to the bill, I do believe it will be a much better bill than current law is…and it will help actually clean up some things.
And no, I don’t mean the Senators. Someone actually managed to leave three festering, stinky piles of doo-doo in the building:
According to a Capitol Hill newspaper, police are unable to solve the mystery of the “caca caper.”
“Usually, if a turd gets into the Senate, it’s because he or she was elected,” Emily Heil reports for Roll Call. “But on Wednesday, several large piles of actual, nonmetaphorical ‘No. 2′ found their way into the Capitol, and the source isn’t yet clear.”
Heil continues, “On Wednesday afternoon, Capitol Police cordoned off a section of the hallway on the third floor of the Senate side of the Capitol, where at least three piles of the stuff were causing a stench — and a stir. At first, the word circulating among the staff was that a visiting child had fallen ill while in the gallery. But then the prevailing theory was that the foul stuff had come from an adult or group of adults making a yet-to-be-determined political statement.”
According to the paper, “Reports also circulated that the yucky stuff had been smeared on seats in the gallery overlooking the chamber floor, and the gallery remained closed hours after the incident was first noted.”
How… fitting…
I take back what I said about Tancredo and McCain yesterday. THIS is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time!
Although, one of my readers suggested we start taking a hint from Tancredo, and send nachos to Senators. Hmm.
Hat Tip: Hot Air
