Stimulus: Longest Congressional Vote in History

By Jeralyn, Section Economy
Posted on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 08:37:00 AM EST
Tags: stimulus (all tags)

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The Senate passed the stimulus bill late Friday night and the NY Times reports it was the longest congressional vote in history.

Hopefully, President Obama and the Dems learned that Republicans are not their friends.

The House vote was 246 to 183, with just 7 Democrats joining all 176 Republicans in opposition. In the Senate, the vote, 60 to 38, was similarly partisan. Only 3 centrist Republicans joined 55 Democrats and 2 independents in favor.

What took so long? [More...]

The peculiar 5-hour 17-minute process was required because Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, had to return to Washington from his home state after attending a funeral home visitation for his mother, who died Feb. 2.

Under a procedural deal between the parties, the bill needed 60 votes to pass. The vote began at 5:30 p.m., but from 7:07 p.m., when Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, cast his “aye,” the tally hung at 59 to 38, until Mr. Brown arrived.

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Stimulus: Longest Congressional Vote in History | 50 comments (50 topical)

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I really can't believe (5.00 / 7) (#1)
by Steve M on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 12:52:11 AM EST

that not one Republican would switch his vote so the guy didn't have to fly back from his mother's wake tonight, and then back to the funeral tomorrow morning. They knew the bill would pass, they could have shown a little humanity. Maybe they were rooting for a plane crash.

Nor can I. It's inhumane. (5.00 / 3) (#4)
by Cream City on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 01:13:17 AM EST

And for that matter, his own party could have given up the White House goal of having the bill signed on President's weekend. I think the Presidents we celebrate, Washington and Lincoln, would not have minded a white to have the man be with his family to bury his mother -- on Valentine's Day, too.


: cx (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Cream City on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 01:25:54 AM EST

-- make that "a whit."

That is probably the strongest (5.00 / 3) (#17)
by ruffian on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 05:53:30 AM EST

signal yet about how far toward post-partisan unity the Republicans plan to go. Petty to the last.


You're on to something ... (none / 0) (#10)
by FreakyBeaky on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 01:41:50 AM EST

Maybe they were rooting for a plane crash.

Why not? It worked out well for them once before ...


I have a feeling that was (none / 0) (#13)
by oldpro on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 01:48:36 AM EST

the request put to the new Commerce Secretary. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing the right thing...instead, he quit. A little late but that was definitely the right thing.


Oh, those heroes (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by lilburro on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 01:31:19 AM EST

Republican "centrists." However, if Republican centrists are largely viewed as heroes, that's good for us. If being a heroic centrist means voting with Dems, and not voting with Dems means being hardcore "wingy" it could work in our favor. God knows we have more than enough centrist/conservative Dems to go around...

But...of course, if the bill sucks, then what?

You really would have thought that Voinovich, (5.00 / 3) (#14)
by steviez314 on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 05:11:53 AM EST

who is retiring anyway, might have done his fellow Ohio Senator a favor and switched just so Brown wouldn't have to come back. Every one would have seen it as a kind gesture.

The Republicans really do have black hearts and empty minds.

Maybe now, Reid will actually start making them filibuster the old-fashioned way, if it's not too inconvenient. Neh!

Forcing a filibuster (5.00 / 3) (#24)
by CoralGables on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 08:47:29 AM EST

would have been rather humorous and a perfect time for it. Sherrod Brown could have stayed in Ohio with his family and a few Republicans would have been forced to talk non-stop over the holiday weekend. I can't even imagine the battle that would ensue among the GOP Senators as they try and decide how many would have to actually give up their weekend to talk to the walls. There may have been a dozen offers to vote Yes just to be able skip the filibuster and go home.


I wish they would (5.00 / 3) (#30)
by allimom99 on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 10:26:40 AM EST

make the rs put up or shut up on the filibusters. THEN we would see how principled they all are, and we the people could decide who our friends really are. I honestly think Harry hasn't got the stones for it, though.


: I wholeheartedly agree (none / 0) (#50)
by McKinless on Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 06:18:55 PM EST

Make the gasbag Republicans filibuster! See if they have it in them. I'm betting they don't. And if they do, filibustering will make them look as vain and silly as they, in fact, are.

yes, it is. (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by cpinva on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 06:16:51 AM EST

I believe the FICA payment is what they mean by 'payroll tax'.

and medicare/medicaid as well. i see 7 democratic house members who's districts should be suffering, come the next budget. vote with me, or suffer the fiscal consequences. they can explain to their constituents why everyone else got something, but they didn't.

republicans, dear readers, have no shame! let me repeat that again, for those of you on drugs: republicans have no shame!

to expect any kind of decent behaviour from them is to set yourself up for disappointment, it is not going to happen. they will lie through their teeth, to your face. when called on it, they will lie again.

since it's darwin's birthday, i'll expain it genetically; they are pre-disposed to lie, it's who and what they are. lying for them is like breathing, a reflex action.

once you understand this, it makes it that much easier to deal with them.

: They don't lie if they can get away (none / 0) (#19)
by ThatOneVoter on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 06:41:46 AM EST

stealing without it.

: On the money cpinva (none / 0) (#36)
by cal1942 on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 12:25:25 PM EST

republicans, dear readers, have no shame!
They've degenerated over the last 3 decades into the lowest form of filth.

If the Republicans had wanted (5.00 / 4) (#28)
by andgarden on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 09:44:22 AM EST

to be humane, they could have waived the 60 vote requirement (and not made the budget point of order). None of them had