Obstructionist politicians won't let anything get done

One man Party on NO.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has upset some Democratic senators by backtracking on his commitment to put spending bills on the floor this summer.

The broken promise is not sitting well with appropriators, but Democratic sources point to the November elections, noting appropriations bills attract a slew of controversial amendments. Keeping the legislation off the floor shields vulnerable Democrats from taking tough votes that could be used in campaign ads this fall.

Mikulski said in May that she expected to spend the weeks before the August recess putting the long-derailed appropriations process back on track.

“We’re going to be on the floor June and July and I have a commitment from Sen. Reid to do that,” she told The Hill at the time.

Instead, the Senate will consider a sportsmen’s bill, sponsored by vulnerable Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, legislation responding to the Supreme Court’s decision in Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby Stores, an emergency supplemental appropriations bill addressing the flood of illegal immigrants on the southwestern border, and a bill addressing the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund.

Mikulski has not scheduled markups on three spending measures — the Energy and Water, the Labor Health and Human Services, and the Financial Services appropriations bills — despite expectations that the measures would be readied for floor consideration before the August break.

A Democratic senator on the Appropriations Committee said Reid pressed Mikulski to delay the markups and added that she is “frustrated.”

“It’s Reid’s decision,” said the lawmaker, who requested anonymity. “My guess is a couple of senators went to him and said they didn’t want to vote on some amendments.”

The senator expressed concern that Reid has adopted a defensive posture and suggested a better strategy would be to pass the bills so Democrats could brag about the popular provisions in the legislation.

Republicans, who have worked well with Mikulski during the first year and a half of her tenure as the first woman to chair the Appropriations Committee, also pointed the finger at Reid.

“Sen. Shelby and Sen. Mikulski have been a great team and are committed to moving by regular order. Unfortunately the roadblocks are coming from the majority leadership. Sen. Reid didn’t want votes on amendments and that has held up the process,” said a Senate Republican aide, referring to Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), the senior Republican on the appropriations panel.


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