In a Tea Party-sponsored conference call held on Wednesday night, a participant called for the assassination of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) over her support for immigration reform. Prominent conservative policymakers Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)’s communications director Stephen Miller and Heritage Foundation research fellow Robert Rector also joined the call, hosted by the conservative Eagle Forum group.
The most jarring and unexpected moment of the night was when the moderator opened up the phone lines to callers:
BOB FROM MAINE: I’m from Maine and our Tea Party will be meeting up next week. What is the best way that we can get our senator to listen to us?
ANOTHER CALLER: Shoot her. [laughter]
MODERATOR: Yes, we will shoot her with…(inaudible) and phone calls.
After the anonymous statement was made, no one on the call voiced their opposition. Instead, the threat was met with laughter and “oohs.” (At the time of the incident, Sessions’ communications director had apparently left the call.) Calling for the assassination of a senator is a federal crime punishable by five years of jail and may require a Secret Service investigation.
Collins was the sole Republican to co-sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)’s withdrawn amendment that would allow bi-national, same sex couples to petition for immigrant visas for their significant others.
Despite the “joking” nature of the caller, this is not the first time that Tea Partiers have made explicit threats toward government officials. A Tea Partier once threatened a state senator for supporting a bill he believed would lead to government seizure of land, and famed Tea Partier Glenn Beck also called for the use of Special Ops to incite a revolution.
The House Republican spending plan for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 — H.R. 1 — includes many economically counterproductive cuts that will lead to job loss and stunted growth. One of these is a provision rescinding unobligated money from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery II, or TIGER II, grant program. The program is designed to deliver competitive grants to states for high-need infrastructure projects.
All but three Republican senators voted for H.R.1when it was before the Senate, and those three only voted no because they wanted even deeper cuts than those included in the bill. But three GOP senators — Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) — are now taking credit for a grant to rebuild the Memorial Bridge that was provided under the TIGER II program they voted to cut:
COLLINS: “I am delighted by today’s announcement that this critical $20 million will be preserved that will help to rehabilitate a vital link for our states’ businesses and people…I particularly appreciate Secretary LaHood’s working so closely with me to expedite the process to guarantee this funding.”
SNOWE: “Snowe said she is grateful the US DOT fulfilled its commitment to the Memorial Bridge project in a timely fashion, and that completion of the bridge overhaul was not jeopardized by ongoing budget debates in Washington, D.C.”
AYOTTE: “Having been called ‘one of the worst bridges in America,’ I am pleased that paperwork issues have been resolved allowing this project to move forward. New Hampshire and Maine have already made a serious commitment to replacing Memorial Bridge, and I am glad that DOT followed through on its commitment.“
After having voted to rescind any funding left for this program, the three New England Republicans lobbied the Department of Transportation to release the funding quickly before the recissions could take place. When H.R. 1 was before the Senate, Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood warned people before the vote that approving those could put projects in peril. “We just want to make sure everybody understands that,” LaHood said.
Overall, H.R 1 “cuts funding for transportation infrastructure by 9 percent, slashing $2.7 billion from rail, $675 million from federal transit investments, and nearly $1 billion from highway investments.” Unfortunately for those trying to use America’s aged and disintegrating infrastructure, not every project will be rushed through to avoid the budget cuts that the GOP wants to implement.
By Pat Garofalo
Today, the Senate invoked cloture on a bill that provides states with $26 billion in funding for Medicaid and to prevent mass layoffs of teachers. These two streams of funding have been added to — and then cut from — bill after bill, because conservatives objected to their cost. Initially, the bill that was voted on today added $5 billion to the deficit, but it was tweaked to include larger spending offsets. And according to the Congressional Budget Office, it now decreases the deficit by $1.3 billion over ten years through cuts to food stamps and closing corporate tax loopholes. Two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) — voted to invoke cloture and end the ongoing filibuster. The rest of the Republican caucus, however, voted no. That’s 38 Republican senators who voted against a deficit reducing
jobs bill. (Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) didn’t vote.) The Wonk Room explains how this vote clearly puts the lie to the notion that Republicans really want small spending measures to pass, but only if they’re “paid for.”
Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) has been blocking important legislation that would temporarily extend unemployment and health benefits to laid-off American workers; these benefits expired on Sunday because Congress failed to pass an extension. Because of Bunning, 2,000 federal highway employees were furloughed without pay as of yesterday, and doctors are facing a 21 percent cut in Medicare fees, and more than a million people in rural areas may not be able to watch television.
Today, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) spoke up and asked for “unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 4691″ — what Democrats have repeatedly requested in recent days. Collins said that she was supported by “numerous” other GOP senators who are tired of Bunning’s obstruction:
On my own behalf, and on behalf of numerous members of the Republican caucus who have expressed concerns to me, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 4691 — with one of hour of debate equally divided between the leaders or their designees, and that following the use or the yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage. [...]
Madam President, I hope that we can act together for the American people, and again, I want to emphasize that this issue is so important on senators on both sides of the aisle. Many of my colleagues have expressed concerns to me that this was not done last week, when it should have been done. So Madam President, I do propose the unanimous consent request.
Watch it:
Collins’ speech reportedly had the “blessing” of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has refused to criticize Bunning thus far. In fact, after Collins’ move, McConnell decided not to follow her lead and instead just “launched into a speech criticizing Democrats on health care legislation.”
GOP senators have all largely stayed away from criticizing Bunning, and several have even wholeheartedly embraced his obstruction. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told reporters today that Bunning’s block is “not as big of a deal as some of you are trying to make it.” Yesterday on the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said of Bunning, “I respect him for the courage he’s showed.” Similarly, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has said that Bunning’s move is something that the Senate should “honor” and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has said that he “admire[s]” the obstruction.
So if there are “many” GOP senators upset at Bunning, why don’t they speak out? Why are they all hiding behind Sen. Collins?
Transcript:
On my own behalf, and on behalf of numerous members of the Republican caucus who have expressed concerns to me, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 4691 — with one of hour of debate equally divided between the leaders or their designees, and that following the use or the yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage.
Madam President, this is the House-passed bill that extends for 30 days the following expiring provisions: unemployment insurance, which is so important to those who are struggling –there are 500 Mainers whose benefits expired on Sunday — the COBRA health insurance extension subsidies for the unemployed, important flood insurance, highway funding, small business loans, the provisions of the American Recovery Act that included those small business loan provisions, the doctors fix. Madam President, if we don’t act, physicians all across this country are going to have a 21 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursement.
Madam President, I hope that we can act together for the American people, and again, I want to emphasize that this issue is so important on senators on both sides of the aisle. Many of my colleagues have expressed concerns to me that this was not done last week, when it should have been done. So Madam President, I do propose the unanimous consent request.
