Positions Payment Accountability Act Passes With All But Specter

The United States Senate passed the Position Payment Accountability Act with all but one vote tonight. The bill passed 31-1.

Several Senators stood to speak on behalf of the bill.   Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) stated the PPA, "allowed us to wrap up a number of small yet very important healthcare issues that might have fallen through the cracks otherwise."  He stated the bill with create appropriate disclosure from doctors of what they receive from pharmaceutical companies and "covers every conceivable small healthcare issue."

Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) agreed that it would improve Medicare, and improve grant and research programs.  Across the aisle, Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) promoted the bill, as it will increase transparency for doctor bonuses from companies that "may present a conflict of interest."  He continued, saying he was "proud it was passed unanimously out of Committee" and that it would "give Americans the transparency and level of care they deserve."

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) closed debate: "I would like to very strongly encourage all members of the Senate to support this bill."

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) was the lone member of the Congressional delegation to vote "nay."  He had the following to comment:

If you look at the bill, you will see that the PPA is nothing more than an enormous, bipartisan pork bill.  I cannot believe that at a time such as this, when Americans everywhere, in every state and city of this great country are suffering in this economic downturn, the Senate has passed an obscene amount of Pork in PPA.  This is a completely unacceptable action, made even worse by the fact that it was bipartisan.  Bipartisan pork is still pork, and I am disappointed that I was the lone vote opposed.  I am even more disappointed by reports on the Claremont Beat that President Obama has signed PPA into law.  Senator Obama has often warned against pork, and I am disappointed that he seems to have changed his mind.  The American people deserve better.

CEPA Passes the Senate

The CEPA Act was put before the 111th Session of Senate today. CEPA was expected to be a controversial bill, requiring bipartisan support to avoid the threat of a filibuster.

Senator Boxer, Chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, began debate speaking of the importance of the bill.

(Senator Specter, author of CEPA) 

Senator Inhofe objected to the bill citing that he refused to be "sucked in to the black hole of environmental propaganda." His remarks were based on the belief that global warming is a falsity, and observed that the bill would do little to change the natural fluctuations of earth's temperature. She urged her fellow senators to vote nay on the bill, imploring the American media to discontinue propagating the lies associated with the global warming myth.

Senator Alexander rebutted Senator Inhofe's comments saying that he may be one of the most conservative men out there, but that he believes in the reality of climate change and noted that CEPA was good legislation and had been deliberated upon by a bipartisan committee. He asked his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote "yay" on the bill as it had the possibility to help the ailing United States' economy.

Senator Specter then spoke in defense and support of his bill, especially thanking Chairwoman Boxer and the Environment and Public Works Committee. Specter drew specific attention to the cap-and-trade legislation in the bill, remarking that the cap-and-trade program would wean communities in America off our dangerous addiction to foreign oil.

The bill passed through the senate via roll-call vote with a margin of 19-13.

Senators Begin by Sitting on Wrong Sides of the Aisle

Minority Leader McConnell and Majority Leader Schumer prep their parties before the floor session.

The floor session is about to begin... but the Democratic Senators are sitting on the right side and Republican Senators are sitting on the left side. Has everyone changed parties?! We'll see how VP Biden handles his first real duties of the simulation.

Floor Session Opens with Prayer

Senator Roberts (R-KS) opened up the floor session with an eloquent prayer after Minority Leader McConnell objected to beginning without the traditional prayer. All Senators ceased their chatter to listen to Roberts' impassioned invocation.

GOP Ready for Floor Session

Before the concluding session of Congress Thursday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee dined together, raising a said $15 million dollars at the event.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas spoke to the GOP attendants, acknowledging the hard work his party put into the 111th Congressional session. Cornyn gave special thanks to minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell and ranking committee members Senator James Inhofe and Senator Grassley.

“The work done to see responsible legislation passed in this Congress is of the utmost importance to the American people and the NRSC is glad to have such steady hands at the helm of a boat that has been in rocky seas over the recent months,” said Cornyn.

The NRSC also acknowledged Dontrelle Kushali Goldstein, a small business owner in Texas and lifelong Republican. Cornyn thanked Goldstein for his “support of the Republican Party in its effort to keep America free and capitalism alive.”

Republican’s remained lighthearted at the dinner despite the very real possibility that Democrats will overpower the minority in Senate votes. The group joked about the “terrorist fist jabs” of President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Cornyn stressed the GOP’s responsibility to keep the ideals of citizens like Goldstein in mind during the Senate floor debate this evening.

Republican Minority Dominates Finance Committee Agenda

Outside of dealing with Republican walkouts and recesses that resulted in a new majority leader (Senator Chuck Schumer), the Finance Committee was able to get through only one bill last night.

The Committee questioned one witness before a recess was called so the Committee could observe the Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans walk out (again). About one hour behind schedule, the Committee resumed to begin mark-up and discussion on the SHOP Act of 2009.

The Republican minority dominated the session. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), who was not present at the hearing or a member of the Finance Committee, introduced an amendment to the SHOP Act. Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), who was serving as Senator Crapo's proxy, read a one page statement explaining why the Act should include a clause honoring the music group called "Rage Against the Machine." After ten minutes, the amendment was rejected.

Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a member of the Finance Committee, then introduced several technical concerns, including the definitions of "insurance coverage" and "insurance coverage." After searching for several minutes, the Democrats were able to find them, but not until after a large amount of time was wasted.

Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) did assert his authority at one point. When Senator John Ensign (R-NV) raised question as to whether Senator Schumer, in his haste to assume the Majority leader position, declared Senator Baucus his proxy, the Chair ended all discussion: "I am the chair, I am the judge, I am the proxy. End of discussion."

When Senator McConnell persisted in a discussion if one of the clauses should read "or" instead of "and," I could not help but believe that the Republicans were stalling. I was especially suspicious when the SHOP Act was voted in, and nothing was mentioned of the second bill that was up for consideration. When I asked the Chair when they planned on getting to it, he waved me off, saying "maybe we'll get to it tomorrow."

Today I caught up with Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), the sponsor of the bill entitled The Medicare Modernization and Improvement Act of 2009. He confirmed that the leadership had informed him the bill will not be considered. When asked if he felt this was some sort of minority party ploy to keep his bill out, he had this to say:

I wouldn't go so far to call it a ploy but it is clear that the Republican members of our caucus are much more interested in raising peripheral issues--such as discussing the definition of "health care issuer" for 25 minutes--than expanding health care access and cutting health care costs. I hope that next session that my colleagues from across the aisle will place more importance on ensuring that America's seniors continue to have access to health care than raising amendments commending the rock-group Rage Against the Machine.

Will the spring chicken Majority Leader be able to hold off the Republicans tonight? We will be providing all the coverage starting at 5 pm. Check out http://twitter.com/ClaremontBeat for real time updates!

NRSC Dinner Now at Collins

Senator Cornyn (R-TX) just informed his colleagues the NRSC dinner tonight before the floor session will be held in the Green Room of Collins Dining Hall. The change was due to a "miscommunication with the lovely service staff at the Scripps dining hall," Cornyn wrote in an email.