Chris Cillezza: The 6 states that could decide the Senate and the presidency
Jun 12, 2011
By Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/the-six-states-that-could-decide-the-presidency-and-the-senate/2011/06/09/AGI67BPH_blog.html
Of the 10 Senate races most likely to switch parties in the 2012 election, six of them are in states likely to be targeted by the two national parties at the presidential level.
Those six states — New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin and Virginia — could well then decide not only the identity of the next president but also which party controls the Senate in 2013.
In 2008, President Obama carried five of the six, losing only Missouri — and that narrowly.
But in the intervening three years, Republicans have captured the governorships of New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia as well as 13 U.S. House seats in those six states combined.
The question then for 2012 is whether the political atmospherics will more closely resemble 2008 (good for Democrats) or 2010 (good for Republicans).
Senate Democratic candidates Join the 2012 Fray
Apr 07, 2011
After a few months of listening to Republicans crow about significant recruitment gains for key Senate contests, Democratic candidates have finally begun crawling out of the woodwork.
For several months, Republicans could boast of key Senate candidates who announced early for 2012 Senate contests:
Council for a Livable World launched campaign targeting six GOP leaders
Mar 24, 2011
Council for a Livable World launched a campaign today targeting six Republicans leaders in the House and Senate regarding their support for cuts to vital nuclear security programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
We targeted House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran. While we were unable to run an ad in House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen’s district, we are doing some local media work there.
Senate acts to restore some House-passed budget cuts
Mar 05, 2011
The week of March 1, Congress approved a two-week measure to fund the government that included about $4 billion in additional cuts from the President's request. Negotiations involving the White House, the Senate and the House began on a measure to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.
In the meantime, on March 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee released a new version of the Continuing Resolution that would cut $51 billion from the President's request compared to a $100 billion cut from the House.
The draft Senate Continuing Resolution funds the Pentagon base budget at $513.6 billion and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at $157.8 billion for a total of $671.3 billion. That total is $17.3 billion less than the President's request and $2.1 billion less than the House approved.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed to restore about $300 million for the nuclear non-proliferation program, still a reduction of about $360 million from the Administration's request. According to the Senate committee, this compares to a $648 million in the House bill. The Senate bill restores most or all of the $300 million that the House cut from nuclear complex modernization.
For State-Foreign Operations, which constitutes most of the International Affairs Budget, the Senate measure provides $50.15 billion, $500 million below current Continuing Resolution levels but $4.2 billion (7.6%) below the Fiscal Year 2010 levels. The House-passed version of the bill includes a 19% cut to the International Affairs Budget (for State-Foreign Operations the cut is 16%).(Source: US Global Leadership Coalition)
Early GOP gains in 2012 Senate contests
Feb 01, 2011
Republicans, who won the House in 2010, are hoping to take the Senate in 2012. They need a net gain of three or four seats, depending on who is elected President, as Democrats now hold a 53-47 majority.
In the last month, the GOP has strengthened its position for the 2012 elections.
Just today, there are reports that six-term incumbent Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) will announce for the Senate this Saturday against Sen. Tester (D). Tester upset an incumbent Republican Senator in 2006 by fewer than 4,000 votes and is a top Republican target in 2012. President Obama is very unpopular in the state. Rehberg was the preferred Republican "get" in this state, and the contest becomes a toss-up.
In Vermont, there is a report this morning that state Auditor Tom Salmon (R), the son of a former Democratic governor and a former Democrat himself, indicating that he is "65 percent" leaning towards running against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). If Salmon runs, he gives the GOP a big-name candidate. Former Governor. Former Republican Governor James Douglas is also considering running
Senate National Security Committee Assignments for 112th Congress
Jan 27, 2011
Appropriations - Democrats:
Chairman Daniel Inouye
Patrick Leahy
Tom Harkin
Barbara Mikulski
Herb Kohl
Patty Murray
Dianne Feinstein
Richard Durbin
Tim Johnson
Mary Landrieu
Jack Reed
Frank Lautenberg
Ben Nelson
Mark Pryor
Jon Tester
Sherrod Brown
Appropriations - Republicans
Thad Cochran, Miss.
Mitch McConnell, Ky.
Richard Shelby, Ala.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas
Lamar Alexander, Tenn.
Susan Collins, Maine
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Lindsey Graham, S.C.
Mark Kirk, Ill.
Dan Coats, Ind.
Roy Blunt, Mo.
Jerry Moran, Kan.
John Hoeven, N.D.
Ron Johnson, Wis.
Senate marches on – but slowly!
Jan 24, 2011
Want to know which House members are on which congressional committees? You can look it up.
Who is on House Armed Services Subcommittees? Click here.
Want to know who are the Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee and the various subcommittees? Click here.
Democrats on the same committee? Click here.
And the Senate committees?
Halt. Stop there. Don’t move forward yet. Don’t pass go.
Senate Schedule = Oxymoron
Jan 07, 2011
ox•y•mo•ron = a combination of contradictory or incongruous words
(as cruel kindness)
People frequently ask – well, at least congressional wonks– what is the Senate schedule? When will it consider a piece of legislation or when might a vote occur?
The correct answer to these questions usually is, “Who Knows?” That’s because the Majority Leader usually does not know. The Republican leader does not know. The other 98 Senators do not know.
Take recent predictions by the people most directly interested in getting a handle on the Senate schedule during the recently concluded lame duck session: 100 Senators.
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (R) told MSNBC on November 18, "I think there is no chance that [the START] treaty can be completed in the lame duck session."
Hmmm. Turns out there was a chance.
New START Debate (Day 8, the final day – December 22)
Dec 22, 2010
Presidents Obama and Medvedev sign New START agreement
By John Isaacs and Kingston Reif
After a battle that lasted many months, the Senate voted 71-26 to give its advice and consent to the New START Resolution of Ratification.
The effort to win the Senate’s two-thirds majority was like riding a roller coaster, with optimism followed by pessimism followed by optimism and back and forth.
Ultimately, the vote was a remarkably bipartisan victory in an intensely hyper-partisan atmosphere. It is a victory for the consensus of former national security officials of both parties and both active duty and retired military.
It is certainly a victory for the Obama Administration that won three major bipartisan measures in the waning days of Congress: the tax cut bill, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and New START.
By approving New START, the United States has sent a strong signal to the world that it can be counted on to be a reliable partner and leader in promoting nuclear stability. The treaty will also help buttress cooperative efforts with Russia and others to secure and safeguard nuclear material stockpiles and warheads and maintain and strengthen support for tougher measures against rogue states such as North Korea and Iran.
Before the final vote, the Senate adopted a Kyl amendment by voice vote, worked out with Senator Kerry (D-MA) and the Administration, to accelerate funding for modernization of the nuclear weapons complex.
The Senate also adopted by voice vote a McCain (R-AZ), Lieberman (I-CT), Corker (R-TN) amendment to make it clear that the United States does not accept the Russian interpretation of the missile defense language in the treaty and an understanding that the preamble to the treaty is not binding (stating the obvious and restating Obama Administration position).
Ratification of the treaty is only the beginning. The U.S. and Russia should take advantage of the momentum created by the approval of New START to pursue negotiations on reductions in all types of nuclear warheads, including non-deployed and non-strategic warheads, in a timely manner.
Lots of credit goes to Senators Kerry and Lugar (R-IN), who managed the treaty, other Senators who have been active for the treaty such as Casey (D-PA), Shaheen (D-NH), Cardin (D-MD), Franken (D-MN) and others, the Obama Administration who put together a terrific campaign (and I will not name everyone because there are too many to name) and a terrific effort by the arms control community.
It is now time for everyone to scatter for their well-deserved holiday vacations.
McCain and Risch New START Amendments Rejected
Dec 21, 2010
Senators Risch and McCain proposed two amendments to the New START treaty that would alter the language in the treaty's preamble. Neither of these amendments passed on the floor. Below please find the language and the voting record for both amendments.
Senator McCain's amendment:
To amend the preamble to strike language regarding the interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms.
Senator Risch's amendment:
To amend the preamble to the Treaty to acknowledge the interrelationship between non-strategic and strategic offensive arms.
