...and he'll vote to kill the fillibuster, too
Lott Delays Vote on Base-Closing Nominee
A longtime Republican foe of this year's planned closing of military bases is trying to derail the process by blocking Senate confirmation of the head of the commission that helps pick which facilities will be shuttered, congressional aides and lobbyists said Thursday.
Most GOP leaders support closing bases and this latest round likely will go forward. But Sen. Trent Lott , R-Miss., a staunch defender of military facilities in his state, has pledged to do whatever it takes to block the closures.
Two weeks ago, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved President Bush's nomination of Anthony Principi, Bush's former secretary of veterans affairs, to be chairman of the commission overseeing the process.
The full Senate was expected to vote on the nomination last month before lawmakers left for a holiday break.
By May 16, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is supposed to give the commission his list of which military facilities to close in an effort to save money in the Pentagon's annual budget of almost $500 billion.
But Lott has placed a "hold" on the nomination, said aides and lobbyists speaking on condition of anonymity. The procedural move makes it hard for the Senate to vote on it.
Why does Donald Rumsfeld hate freedom?
A longtime Republican foe of this year's planned closing of military bases is trying to derail the process by blocking Senate confirmation of the head of the commission that helps pick which facilities will be shuttered, congressional aides and lobbyists said Thursday.
Most GOP leaders support closing bases and this latest round likely will go forward. But Sen. Trent Lott , R-Miss., a staunch defender of military facilities in his state, has pledged to do whatever it takes to block the closures.
Two weeks ago, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved President Bush's nomination of Anthony Principi, Bush's former secretary of veterans affairs, to be chairman of the commission overseeing the process.
The full Senate was expected to vote on the nomination last month before lawmakers left for a holiday break.
By May 16, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is supposed to give the commission his list of which military facilities to close in an effort to save money in the Pentagon's annual budget of almost $500 billion.
But Lott has placed a "hold" on the nomination, said aides and lobbyists speaking on condition of anonymity. The procedural move makes it hard for the Senate to vote on it.
Why does Donald Rumsfeld hate freedom?
posted by bluememe at 4/01/2005
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