Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tore into Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) over the procedural maneuver that all but stopped the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act from being passed before the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Reid had hurled accusations that the massive $602 billion bill was reviewed “in secret” (via DefenseNews):
Reid noted the 2017 bill was considered, “in secret,” in a closed session of the Senate Armed Services Committee.“And throughout that bill are all kinds of earmarks—goodies—that John McCain the ear-marker put in this bill,” Reid said. “So I think it’s appropriate for my staff to go through that bill, that was decided in secret, and find out what goodies are hidden in there.”
Cotton said that he usually ignores Reid’s ramblings on the Senate floor, but took umbrage to the notion that this was written in secret.
“It’s been public for weeks,” said Cotton, speaking about the bill. “And this coming from a man [Reid] who drafted Obamacare in his office and rammed it through this Senate at midnight on Christmas Eve on a straight party line vote,” he added. Cotton also said that the last time Reid actually read a bill was probably to pay for the electricity.
He then tore into Reid’s claim that the delays were because he cares about the troops, noting his 2007 remarks that the Iraq War was lost prior to the Surge was complete.
“When over 100 Americans were being killed in Iraq every month; when I was carrying their dead bodies off an airplane at Dover Air Force base. It’s an outrage to say that we had to delay this because he cares for the troops. We’re delaying this for one reason and for one reason only: to protect his own sad, sorry legacy.”
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Regarding Reid’s complaints that the Senate is not in session enough, Cotton said that whatever you may think about the Senate calendar, the fewer days they are in session means “this institution will be cursed less with his cancerous leadership.”
The NDAA includes provisions that would make sure our wounded veterans are taken care of, that current service members have adequate equipment, and allows for combat pay raises. Yes, shame on you, Mr. Reid.
Guy has written extensively about the “shameless hackery” of Harry Reid, who will not be missed when he enters retirement in January of 2017.
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