Spending panel moves toward sequestration relief

The GOP-led Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment Thursday into a defense spending bill that indicates members want sequestration relief for both the Pentagon and domestic programs.

In a 18-12 vote, the amendment from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) was adopted into a bill that would fund the Pentagon for fiscal 2016, which begins Oct. 1.

While the proposal doesn’t make any changes, it sends a message to the Senate about where members stand on sequestration.

“The nation’s fiscal challenges are a top priority for Congress and sequestration — non-strategic, across-the-board budget cuts — remains an unreasonable and inadequate budgeting tool to address the nation’s deficits and debt,” the amendment says.

{mosads}The proposal also says sequestration must be eased for the next two fiscal years and should be applied equally between defense and non-defense programs.

“Sequestration relief should be offset through targeted changes in mandatory and discretionary categories and revenues,” the amendment says.

“I think we all feel this way and quite strongly about it,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations panel, said about the amendment.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), however, said he would vote against it because defense should receive more funding that non-defense programs.

“We talk all the time about prioritizing in the Senate and in Congress. The No. 1 priority of the federal government is to defend the country,” Blunt said.

He then said he’s “not comfortable” with equal increases to both defense and non-defense.

Voting against the amendment were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Blunt, Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

The members who voted in favor of the amendment were Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mikulski, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Shaheen, Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).