Senate Vote: 52 to 47, Levin/Reed Defeated
The Senate is voting on cloture (to end debate) on the Levin/Reed Amendment to the defense authorization funding bill.
You can watch on C-Span.
The vote is on whether to advance the Amendment, which requires reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq beginning in 120 days.
No surprise, Lieberman voted with the Republicans.
Yeas 52, Nays 47. Motion is not agreed to.( Sens. Collins, Smith, Hagel and Snowe voted with Democrats.)
Sen. Harry Reed is making a motion now to reconsider the vote (with a speech.)
More...
He is asking for an up or down vote on Levin/Reed and three other Amendments (Clinton/Byrd, Warner/Lugar and one other.) He wants them considered on their own, unattached to the funding authorization bill. He says we'll come back to the authorization bill afterwards.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority leader is objecting in response. He compares the ongoing debate to the movie Casablanca. Reid objects ("This is not a movie") and has the floor back.
As to the other Amendments, the New York Times reports:
The alternatives include a proposal to enact into law the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group; another to rescind the initial 2002 authorization for the war; and a new proposal by Mr. Lugar and Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, to order the president to develop a new war strategy by October.
Update: Sen. Reid is asking for consideration of the Homeland Security funding authorization bill, H.R. 2638 now instead of next week. McConnell doesn't like that.
If you were wondering why Sen. Harry Reid voted with Republicans, it was for procedural reasons to be able to make the motions he is making now.
Sen. Specter is up now. He calls last night's procedure "a colossal waste of time."
They are voting now on Sen. Reid's proposal.
Maybe not, C-Span's chiron says they are voting on a higher education proposal. Anyone want to take over with live-blogging in the comments?
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