Senator Shelby Holds U.S. Security Hostage Over Earmarks For His State

Run time: 02:33 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAS84hb73dU   Posted on YouTube: February 08, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 08, 2010 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 798

 
Report: Shelby Blocks All Obama Nominations In The Senate Over AL Earmarks

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has put an extraordinary "blanket hold" on at least 70 nominations President Obama has sent to the Senate, according to multiple reports this evening. The hold means no nominations can move forward unless Senate Democrats can secure a 60-member cloture vote to break it, or until Shelby lifts the hold.

"While holds are frequent," CongressDaily's Dan Friedman and Megan Scully report (sub. req.), "Senate aides said a blanket hold represents a far more aggressive use of the power than is normal." The magazine reported aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were the source of the news about Shelby's blanket hold.

The Mobile Press-Register picked up the story early this afternoon. The paper confirmed Reid's account of the hold, and reported that a Shelby spokesperson "did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking confirmation of the senator's action or his reason for doing so."


Shelby has been tight-lipped about the holds, offering only an unnamed spokesperson to reporters today to explain them. Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke the news of the blanket hold this afternoon. Reid aides told CongressDaily the hold extends to "all executive nominations on the Senate calendar."

According to the report, Shelby is holding Obama's nominees hostage until a pair of lucrative programs that would send billions in taxpayer dollars to his home state get back on track. The two programs Shelby wants to move forward or else:

- A $40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers. From CongressDaily: "Northrop/EADS team would build the planes in Mobile, Ala., but has threatened to pull out of the competition unless the Air Force makes changes to a draft request for proposals." Federal Times offers more details on the tanker deal, and also confirms its connection to the hold.

- An improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI. From CongressDaily: " is frustrated that the Obama administration won't build" the center, which Shelby earmarked $45 million for in 2008. The center is due to be based "at the Army's Redstone Arsenal."

Though a Shelby spokesperson would not confirm that these programs were behind the blanket hold, the Senator expressed his frustration about the progress on both through a spokesperson to both CongressDaily and the Federal Times.

A San Diego State University professor and Congressional expert told the Mobile paper "he knew of no previous use of a blanket hold" in recent history.

Updates From TPM Coverage Today:

- Shelby confirmed the holds, and lashed out at Obama over the Alabama programs.

- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office first doubted the story was true. Later, after Shelby confirmed it, McConnell's office refused to talk about the holds.

- White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called the Shelby holds "silliness" in this morning's gaggle with reporters.

- An interview Shelby gave to a TV station in Alabama earlier this week offers some more insight into why Shelby is holding up Obama's nominees -- he thinks the White House is biased against Alabama.


http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/report-shelb...

It is time for the Nooclehar option.....have balls Democrats...remember when you were in the minority? If you keep this up, you will be again. Hell, it is just like you are the minority now!

we could downplay it and refer to it as "silliness."

weak sauce!

We pussy-footed around and offered huge sums of cash to Ben Nelson, Louisiana, etc. He is hoping to get his piece of the pie. I agree we need to go Nuclear on his ass and end this before more idiots jump on board.

Recess appoint the whole fucking lot of them!! Of course they will only do this for a couple just to make a point, but I say make a point with all 70 of them. Could you imagine how the repukes would have reacted to this stunt a few years ago. Dems would be labeled unpatriotic and treasonous.

And hey, where are the Teapartiers on this??

Keep some freshman there every day?

this is probably the first sign that someone has already put DIBS on Shelby - Northrup, and do you think more aren't far behind?