Senate tries to score political points on way to budget vote

[March 27, 2015]  By David Lawder
 
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday launched a marathon session that will end with a vote on a budget plan after lawmakers weigh in on dozens of amendments that are likely to have more effect on campaign ads in 2016 than the final spending plan.

In the so-called "vote-a-rama," senators are aiming to score political points and draw the opposing party into casting votes that can be used against them, or establishing support for future legislation.

Senators are voting on everything from gun control to sick leave to sanctions on Iran.

Both the votes on the budget and its amendments never become law. It is only the first step in Washington's convoluted spending process that will culminate in government funding bills later this year.

The marathon session is supposed to be part of the Senate's annual budget ritual, but this is the chamber's first budget vote in two years and only the second since 2009. It drew more than 600 initial proposals, more than twice the number in 2013, Senate aides said.

"If you are for extreme gun control and against Second Amendment rights you ought to vote against this amendment," Republican Senator James Inhofe said of his proposal to deny taxpayer funding for the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

It passed 59-41, indicating opposition to the treaty.

A Democratic proposal to let all Americans earn paid sick-leave passed with a surprisingly strong 61 votes, with support from 14 Republicans.

Another Republican amendment passed unanimously aims to make it easier to reimpose sanctions if Iran violates a nuclear deal. And an amendment from liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders on climate change and cutting carbon emissions failed 49-50, but drew "yes" votes from five Republicans.

The spending plan from Republicans in the Senate would slash domestic spending by $5.1 trillion over 10 years with deep social safety net cuts like those in a parallel budget passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

With Republicans now in control of the House and Senate, they are motivated to pass a combined budget next month.

Doing so would let them invoke special budget rules to pass a repeal or replacement of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law with only a simple majority in the Senate.

New health care legislation could gain momentum if a Supreme Court ruling in late June strikes a blow to the Affordable Care Act's health insurance subsidy mechanism in many states.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Lisa Shumaker)

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