Senate Braces for Another Vote-a-Rama on Rescissions Package

Senators might be feeling deja vu.

The Senate is gearing up for yet another vote-a-rama starting as soon as Wednesday — which would mark its fourth marathon voting session this year and the most in decades. And more vote-a-ramas are possible over the next year as GOP leaders say they are eyeing additional reconciliation bills and expect more rescissions packages.

Senate Republicans are putting a roughly $9 billion package of cuts on the floor this week, which can pass with just a simple majority. But before that, it’s expected to be subject to another stretch of back-to-back amendment votes. Senators are reluctantly preparing for the possibility of the typically lengthy and often overnight voting session.

“It’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you are very excited about,” Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters, previewing the rescissions on the floor.

The measure, sought by the Trump administration and already passed by the House, called for clawing back $9.4 billion funding for foreign aid and public radio and television. But Senate Republicans said Tuesday they would spare cuts to PEPFAR, a global AIDS relief program, in a substitute amendment. That ensures the bill would need to go back to the House, where amendments could jeopardize final passage.

These marathon votes have become more common this year as Republicans worked to pass their sweeping tax and spending package into law — and Democrats used the amendment votes to put members on the record as they look ahead to midterm elections. The Senate hasn’t held four vote-a-ramas in a year since 1995, according to chamber records. The three vote-a-ramas held this year so far were tied to the massive tax and policy package that President Donald Trump signed earlier this month.

Since the rescission package is more narrow and amendments need to be germane, that could mean a more limited number of votes.

“We’ll definitely have amendments,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. “I’m told that it’s likely to be shorter, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Ahead of the votes, some Republicans are expressing frustration with a process that often entails behind-the-scene negotiations.

“I want to see people being able to offer their ideas and let’s vote yea or nay in front of God and country,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. “I don’t want to see a wraparound amendment at the end that reflects a lot of side deals. I’m tired of seeing people getting special deals to vote yes.”

‘Vote-a-Trauma’

The most recent vote-a-rama for the reconciliation package lasted more than 26 hours, during which Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who was busy negotiating several benefits for her home state, donned a blanket and 91-year old Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was spotted sitting on the chamber floor. An internal Senate TV feed from Republicans streaming the session called it “vote-a-trauma.”

The “vote-a-rama” sprung from the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and allows senators to introduce an unlimited number of amendments on a budget resolution or reconciliation bill. The term itself was popularized by former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) – who previously served as majority leader, minority leader and whip – and remembers blurting it out when discussing it with reporters in the hall.

“For some reason, it just popped out. Yeah, it’s a vote-a-rama,” Lott said in an interview. “The term did stick and they still do it, unfortunately.”

This many vote-a-ramas in a year seems like a lot, said Lott, who once asked for cots to be brought into the cloakroom in an effort to spook senators from an overnight session. “I don’t know that the process has shifted that much, but I do think it’s more partisan than it used to be,” he said.

Vote-a-ramas allow for the minority to force votes on politically controversial issues, which can be used in campaigns and as messaging tools. Democrats are touting their efforts during the last vote-a-rama as a political success.

“Democrats forced votes on many amendments to put Republicans on notice and show their constituents what their real positions are on issues,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). He pointed to votes on nursing home care, food assistance for children of veterans, protections for Medicaid, and clean energy jobs.

Congress has until the end of this week to pass the rescissions package with a simple majority, and senators are planning on the vote-a-rama before that. The rescission package faced opposition from moderate Republicans that expressed concerns over cuts to public broadcasting and global health programs. Some of those concerns were eased ahead of floor action, but not all.

“There are other problematic parts of the rescissions,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters Tuesday, even though the text addressed PEPFAR cuts.

But Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who had reservations about the broadcast cuts, said Tuesday that he would now vote for the bill after working with the administration to find “Green New Deal money that could be reallocated to continue grants to tribal radio stations without interruption.” He told reporters it would be less than $10 million.

Senate Democrats plan to argue that Republicans are using rescissions to undermine the bipartisan appropriations process and allowing the executive branch to undo previously agreed upon spending.

“It’s very dangerous for the well-being of the Senate,” said Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). “It really further weakens the congressional role and one of the disturbing dynamics in this Congress is constant deference to the executive, relinquishing congressional responsibility.”