The Hill: S. 504 Has ‘Full Head of Steam’ in Senate But Still Faces Opposition from McCain, Webb
By J. Taylor Rushing
A bill to rename the Department of the Navy is quickly catching on in the Senate, but faces staunch opposition from Armed Services Committee leaders.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), a former Marine and the sponsor of the bill in the upper chamber, has convinced 79 senators to sign on the measure he introduced in late February.
But even though it has broad bipartisan support, the bill’s fate could be decided by Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and his GOP counterpart Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who oppose the efforts to rename the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. The Marine Corps currently operates under the umbrella of the Department of the Navy.
Another notable Armed Services member, Jim Webb (D-Va.), a former Marine and Navy secretary, also opposes the Roberts bill.
Roberts said that “there’s only about four or five [senators] who have a problem with it. We’re up to 80 co-sponsors (including Roberts) and we’ll probably get 82, 83. We could do it as a stand-alone, by unanimous consent, although someone could object. The trick is to find something that’s moving around here.”
Roberts said he is still considering his options of getting his bill to the floor, noting that the House measure also has broad backing.
Read the entire story at TheHill.com
Tags: Jim Webb, John McCain, Pat Roberts, Senate, United States Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps
I’m not sure why they wouldn’t want to vote FOR this bill, but it seems like they are either too OLD & set in their ways to be able to deal well with change OR they have some kind of idiotic hidden agenda. Hmmm…. With this group of Senators, I’m betting on both ‘excuses’.
It does seem to be a strange set of circumstances when a Senator who has a Marine son, and another who is a Marine, collude to block the passage of both a logical and popular bill. Is there a political USNA inference?
I would hope, through our continued efforts of calling, emailing, and writing, that the leadership of the Armed Services committee will become enlightened to the proper point of view.
The proposal makes sense, so let’s do it!
I find this ruling to be a great one. Can not understand why a Marine wuld object. Mc Cain has lost our backing. Semper Fi Marines
I am having trouble finding anything that says why these Senators have chosen to oppose the bill. I can understand if they have a fear of fiscal demands or feel the bill has a hidden agenda but I can’t find anything of the such. The House bill just proposed the name change – no fiscal changes. Can anyone clarify why there is hestitation on the parts of these Senators?
As a Virginia resident, I sent my opinion to Jim Webb and received the typical ho-hum reply: “… Please be assured as the committee continues to address this issue I will keep your specific views in mind. ”
I’m not saying everyone should just go along with a majority but when there’s an 80% support rate, I seriously have to question the judgment and motives of the holdouts.
I too am from AZ and will not be voting for McCain. I would rather vote for a “Pork Barrel Spender” than someone who sits behind closed doors with Kennedy, La Raza, Mecha and the SEIU with a plan to give away my country to the illegals. My history is that of a FMF CORPSMAN. I am in favor of the change for the renaming to The Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. I wonder if our Commander in Chief ever got the spelling or pronounciation correct?
McCain is a bum–I’m from AZ and definitly wont vote for him. He’s crossed the aisle to the democrat’s side so often and so fast, he’s knocked over chairs to get there.