‘Did I Do That?’

That Was Then: ‘Senate Democrats … Blocked For A Third Time A Key Defense Spending Bill’

This Is Now: Democrats Wonder Where The Appropriations Bills Are

SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D-MD): “I come to the floor to say that, sadly, I am concerned we will not finish our job on appropriations the way we should finish it . . . But instead of finishing Congress's work to fund the government, we are now contemplating putting the government on autopilot by something called a continuing resolution . . .” (Sen. Mikulski, Congressional Record, S. 6527, 11/29/2016)

• MIKUSLKI: “Funding for every mission--let's start with the Department of Defense. Our troops are fighting overseas, and we need to support them. . . Last week, Department of Defense Comptroller Mike McCord warned that a stopgap CR delays ships and weapons our troops need.” (Sen. Mikulski, Congressional Record, S. 6527, 11/29/2016)

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): “I came to the floor this afternoon to talk about our failure once again to go through a regular appropriations process. . .  But instead we are again being presented with an inadequate, short-term, stopgap bill, a continuing resolution that does not get the job done for the American people.” (Sen. Shaheen, Floor Remarks, 11/30/2016)

• SHAHEEN: “[A]s a member of the Armed Services Committee, I’m also very aware, as so many of us on that committee are, of the harmful effect of continuing resolutions on our military.” (Sen. Shaheen, Floor Remarks, 11/30/2016)

FLASHBACK: ‘Senate Democrats Blocked A Defense Spending Bill From Moving Forward’

“Senate Democrats Tuesday blocked for a third time a key defense spending bill …” (“Dems Spike Defense Dept. Funding Bill,” Washington Examiner, 9/06/2016)

“US Senate Democrats voted down the 2017 Pentagon and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bills on Tuesday for the third time, teeing up a stopgap funding resolution …” (“Senate Rejects Defense Bills Again, Foreshadowing CR,” DefenseNews, 9/06/2016)

“... Democrats before the summer recess sank Republican attempts to pass stand-alone defense spending measures.” (“Congressional Issue Tracker: Return From Recess,” Defense News, 8/25/2016)

• “Senate Democrats blocked a defense spending bill from moving forward in July...” (“5 Issues To Watch When Congress Returns In September,” Roll Call, 8/03/2016)

Sens. Mikulski and Shaheen each voted 3 times this year to block action on the Defense appropriations bill. (H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #124: Motion rejected 50-44 : R 48-1; D 2-41; I 0-2, 7/07/2016, Mikulski and Shaheen voted Nay; H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #133: Motion rejected 55-42: R 53-0; D 2-40; I 0-2, 7/14/2016, Mikulski, and Shaheen voted Nay; H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #136: Motion rejected 55-43 : R 53-0; D 2-41; I 0-2, 9/06/2016, Mikulski, and Shaheen voted Nay)

Democrats Have Filibustered Defense Funding Bills Six Times This Congress

June 2015: 44 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 2685, Roll Call Vote #216: Motion rejected 50-45 : R 49-1; D 1-42; I 0-2, 6/18/2015)

September 2015: 42 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 2685, Roll Call Vote #269: Motion rejected 54-42: R 53-0; D 1-40; I 0-2, 9/22/2015)

November 2015: 43 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 2685: Roll Call Vote #298: Motion rejected 51-44: R 50-1; D 1-42; I 0-1, 11/05/2015)

July 2016: 43 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #124: Motion rejected 50-44 : R 48-1; D 2-41; I 0-2, 7/07/2016)

July 2016, Again: 42 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #133: Motion rejected 55-42: R 53-0; D 2-40; I 0-2, 7/14/2016)

September 2016: 43 Democrats vote to filibuster Defense appropriations. (H.R. 5293, Roll Call Vote #136: Motion rejected 55-43 : R 53-0; D 2-41; I 0-2, 9/06/2016)