Democrats win as Social Security cuts removed from Senate highway bill

[KamaAina]

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/7/23/1405016/-Democrats-win-as-Social-Security-cuts-removed-from-Senate-highway-nbsp-bill

Two provisions to cut Social Security benefits in the proposed highway bill caused Democrats in both the Senate and House to revolt. Democrats have succeeded in getting both of those provisions removed, but now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a serious challenge in getting the bill past his own party, in both chambers of Congress.

Senate Democrats defeated McConnell's first effort to bring the bill to the floor for debate, arguing they didn't have time to read the 1030-page bill in the few hours he had given them, and because of these spending provisions that hit Social Security. Immediately following that defeat, the Social Security cut to people who were concurrently receiving disability benefits and unemployment insurance was removed. The second cut, which would have ended benefits to anyone with an outstanding felony warrant, was was axed before a second procedural vote Wednesday night. Democrats pointed out that the last time this was attempted, and stymied by the courts, the government had to pay back $500 million to some 80,000 people who were wrongly cut off.

McConnell got the votes of 14 Democrats after removing these provisions, and the bill is moving forward this week in the Senate. But it's not the end to his problems, and his stubbornness in pushing this bill is looking a lot like his Patriot Act debacle. The House is ready to leave town for August recess next month. It passed a highway bill that lasts for the remainder of the year, and leadership on that side have made it clear that the Senate bill "won't fly" in the House. And yet:...

Meanwhile, on the Senate side amendments and grandstanding are threats as Rand Paul and Ted Cruz try to compete with fellow presidential candidate Donald Trump for some headlines. Between the two of them, they've threatened to block the bill unless they can get or block amendments on Planned Parenthood, the Export Import Bank, Obamacare, and Iran. Once again, McConnell is having a really hard time demonstrating that Republicans can govern, even within the party....

As Sen. Nelson Muntz (D-Springfield) said as he cast his vote:

[Octafish]

1. Why are there ANY Social Security cuts on the table?

If anything, Congress should put back the money they've "borrowed" from the Social Security Trust like yesterday.

[LiberalArkie]

2. Did they put them back? This is from July.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. This a report from July.......

I fail to see the importance of it now in Dec.

[KamaAina]

4. Sorry about that.

My posting technique is to go through my Facebook feed, click on anything that looks like grist for the DU mill, then post it. All this is going on at work, you understand, so occasionally I forget to check the date.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Actually, I noticed that Facebook is putting timeline info out of date sequence.

I was having a lot of Dec. 13 stuff show up today, even stuff I had blocked.
so this may not be on you after all.