Senate sends DoD budget, pay raise to Obama

Senate sends DoD budget, pay raise to Obama
By Andrew Taylor - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Dec 20, 2009 17:36:04 EST

WASHINGTON — Senators worked through a December blizzard Saturday to pass legislation ensuring that U.S. troops are armed and the jobless don’t lose their benefits — and take one more step toward a Christmas week showdown over health care.

The 88-10 early morning vote on the $626 billion defense spending bill and other must-pass items cleared Congress’ plate of a major item of unfinished business and meant lawmakers immediately could resume their acrimonious debate on health care.

The impressive vote demonstrated sweeping support for paying for troops fighting overseas. The path to that point, however, was poisoned with partisanship as Republicans sought to derail the measure in an effort to stretch out action on health care past Christmas.

“Senate Republicans have made us jump through every procedural hurdle just to have this vote and threatened to block funding for our troops — all in order to delay us from debating health care reform,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “It is incomprehensible that Republicans would even threaten to stop funding our troops and helping those who are struggling.”

Just four Republicans joined with Democrats on an important test requiring 60 votes. Confident that Republicans such as Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi would provide votes, Democratic leaders gave the OK for Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent and Orthodox Jew who caucuses with Democrats, to go home for the eighth night of Hanukkah.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_defense_budget_senate_122009/