Last vote in the 116th Congress is Trump's first veto override
Trump attacks GOP over veto, no Senate vote on $2,000 COVID checks
New Year’s Day was not a day of political rest. President Trump lost his first veto override vote. Those $2,000 COVID relief checks died in the Senate. Democrats unveiled rules changes for the House. This is "Regular Order" for January 2, 2021.
CONGRESS OVERRIDES TRUMP DEFENSE VETO. It wasn't close. For the first time, President Trump saw one of his vetoes overturned by the Congress, as the Senate voted 81-13 on Friday to override his veto of a major defense policy bill. The plan includes a 3 percent pay raise for the troops, and lets the Pentagon start changing the names of bases which honor Confederate generals, a bipartisan provision which the President hotly opposed. This bill is now law.
NOT A WINNING VETO FIGHT. President Trump could have quietly signed this bipartisan defense bill into law three weeks ago after it passed by very large, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate. Instead, he waited as long as he could to veto the measure, aggravating lawmakers and forcing them to return after Christmas. Oddly enough, when the vote was over, the President wasn't attacking Democrats, but he was instead going after Republicans in the Senate.
GOP BLOCKS $2,000 COVID CHECKS. Not only did the Senate reverse the President's defense bill veto, but Republicans also ended their work for this Congress by refusing to hold a vote on a plan backed by President Trump to increase COVID-relief checks to $2,000 per adult. Democrats once more yesterday forced GOP Senators to block the House-passed bill on the Senate floor, as they accused Republicans of being 'afraid' that the measure would actually pass.
THE MISSING SIX. Six Senators didn’t make it back to Capitol Hill for the New Year’s Day vote on the defense bill veto override. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE).
116th CONGRESS DRAWS TO A CLOSE. Friday’s votes in the Senate were the final ones in the 116th Congress, as the House and Senate now turn their attention to Sunday, when the 117th Congress convenes at 12 noon. Democrats will have a much smaller majority in the House, and GOP control of the Senate depends on the two runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday. Democrats can only take charge if they win both of those races.
HOUSE DEMS UNVEIL NEW RULES. Preparing for the new Congress, House Democrats issued a package of rules changes on Friday - one of which would stop a favored GOP House floor tactic known as the 'motion to recommit.' The new rule only lets the House vote on whether to send a bill back to committee. No longer will the minority be able to put forward very detailed recommit amendments at the last minute - which Republicans were very good at crafting. This move will certainly insulate House Democrats from some tough votes.
THE MUSE OF HISTORY. The Senate Russell Caucus Room was the historic setting on January 2, 1960, as Sen. John Kennedy (D-MA) announced his run for President. Think of how times have changed. Candidate announcements now routinely take place much earlier, as the year before an election is filled with party debates and campaign stops. But in 1960, Kennedy started with a low profile announcement on Capitol Hill, winning the White House ten months later.
UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
House meets Sunday morning to end the 116th Congress, then at 12 noon to convene the 117th Congress.
Senate meets Sunday morning to end the 116th Congress, then at 12 noon to convene the 117th Congress.
President Trump is in Washington.
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“Conference reports may be brought up at any time. Any further program will be announced later.”