Senate Votes Today On HR 1. Vote @ 3pm EST. Wolves’ Fate Hangs In The Balance!

March 9, 2010

Capitol Switchboard

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The vote was delayed yesterday but Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), is forcing an up or down vote on the House budget bill HR1, today, March 9 @ Noon EST.  That means the Senators must vote yes or no on all the bad riders and huge budget cuts that are in HR1.  Many moderate Republicans do not want to “go on the record” and sign on to the terrible things in that bill.The most terrible is the “Wolf Slaughter Rider” 1713″

This is Senator Reid’s statement, made on the floor of the Senate yesterday afternoon, regarding today’s vote on HR1 and it’s Senate Counterpart the Inouye Substitute Amendment 149.

“Twelve noon, Wednesday March 9, that the Senate proceed to the consideration of calendar # 14 HR 1, the Defense Appropriations long-term continuing resolution, fiscal year 2011, That there be three hours of debate on HR 1 and the Democratic alternative Inouye substitute amendment number 149 the time equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, prior to vote on passage of HR1. That the vote on passage be subject to a 60 vote threshold, if the bill achieves 60 affirmative votes, the bill will be read a third time and passed. If the bill does not achieve 60 affirmative votes, the majority leader will be recognized to offer the Inouye substitute amendment #149. The Senate then proceed to a vote on the substitute amendment. The substitute amendment be subject to a 60 vote threshold. If the substitute amendment achieves 60 affirmative votes, the substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill as amended will be read a third time and passed. If the substitute amendment does not achieve 60 affirmative votes HR 1 be returned to the calendar. No motions or amendments be ordered to the substitute amendment or the bill prior to the votes. Further that all the above occur with no intervening action debate.“

Mr President even though there’s been a few have turns in the road, we’re at the place we need to be. We need to be able to show the American people where we are on these two measures and I express my appreciation to my friend the Republican leader uh that as we said things don’t always work smoothly around here but they usually work. And now we’re at a point where we can vote on these two measures, which is what we need to do”

If you can figure out what he’s saying good luck. No seriously, anyone watching this on C-Span today would have been scratching their heads? I know I was, I had to read it several times to figure it out.

Basically what I understand it to mean is Reid is forcing an up or down vote on HR 1.  Remember this is the infamous House Budget bill HR1, that was passed in the House on February 19, 2011. It contains the “Wolf Slaughter Rider” 1713. If this bill passes today, wolves in the Northern Rockies would be delisted, without judicial review. Which means they’ll be turned over part and parcel to the states with no redress. I don’t even want to think what this will mean for the  1700 wolves who live in the Northern Rockies. Everything we’ve worked for, over the last 15 years, will be destroyed. Wolves will be slaughtered.

Reid then goes on to say that if  HR 1 does not pass then the Senate will consider Inouye Substitute Amendment 149. The amendment just shows the numbers but the actual language in the Senate CR contains  1709. pushed by Senator Tester.

“U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has inserted language into the Senate’s Continuing Resolution – the bill that funds the entire national budget – declaring the gray wolf a recovered species in Montana and Idaho”

1709 is the evil twin of 1713 and does exactly the same thing that 1713 does,  delists wolves in the Northern Rockies, without judicial review. They would be turned over to the states and again we all know how that will turn out for wolves. So this is very, very serious. All our calling, faxing and emailing is coming down to today.

If I’ve confused everyone, I’m sorry. Government was never meant to be this difficult to understand, so secretive, so under-handed that wolves could lose their protections and the ESA dismantled all because a Representative and a Senator decided to play politics with wolves’ lives and stuff a sneaky delisting measure into a BUDGET BILL. What do wolves have to do with the budget? Absolutely nothing but the anti-wolf forces couldn’t win in court so they are trying an end-round the ESA

Do not give up!  Please watch the vote on C-span tomorrow if you can.  My gut tells me  HR1 won’t pass but there is no way to know. If it does, wolves are doomed. If HR1 doesn’t pass, then they’re going to vote on the Senate version. Either way it’s going to be a horribly nerve-wracking day. If neither bill passes then it buys wolves and us more time. Please do not stop calling your Senators. They know we are out there and are hopping mad.  We are making a difference because every time I call I’m told many, many people are contacting them about the wolf delisting riders in these bills.

Continue to barrage the Capitol phone lines. Pray neither bill passes, a stalemate would be good. Wolves would win the day.

I am shocked and saddened that not one Senator mentioned wolves or the ESA yesterday, that I’m aware of.   I believe it’s because  nobody on Capitol Hill wants to admit out loud to the American people, that wolves could lose their lives and protections because of a rider added to a BUDGET BILL??? The fate of hundreds and hundreds of wolves are in the hands of the Senate.

Please refer to my previous post for all Senate contact information by CLICKING HERE.

STAND FOR WOLVES ONCE AGAIN!!

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Senate Democrats say they will force vote on House spending bill

By Erik Wasson – 03/08/11 03:17 PM ET

Sensing division, Senate Democrats declared Tuesday that they will force Republicans to vote on the House GOP’s bill to cut $57 billion in spending.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would bring a cloture vote late Tuesday evening, and perhaps as late as 1 a.m. Wednesday, on a motion to debate the House spending bill.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.

Posted in: Wolf Wars, endangered species act

Tags: Senate vote, March 9th, Senator Reid, Simpson Rider 1713, Rider 1709, wolves don’t belong in the budget, ESA integrity threatened