Senators are struggling to move their first batch of government funding bills across the floor amid talks over an amendment Republicans say is aimed at protecting gun rights for veterans.
Members are hopeful the Senate could begin moving on the package of three funding bills this week, but Republicans have been putting blame on Democrats for what they say is a holdup in talks partly due to an amendment offered by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.).
Republicans say the amendment seeks to keep veterans who need help managing their money from losing their gun rights, while Democrats are concerned about the impact the measure could have on veterans’ suicide rates.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who introduced similar legislation with Kennedy earlier this year, said the amendment targets the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) over a policy “that if a veteran complains of financial incapability, has a conservator or fiduciary appointed for them,” they can eventually be considered “incapable of owning a gun or having a gun.”
The Senate is allowing some amendments to be considered on a majority-vote basis, while others must win 60 votes and essentially show they can overcome a filibuster. Some Democrats, Moran said, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, do not think his amendment is “germane” and think it should have to win 60 votes to be added.
“There are currently Democrats who don’t want to have a vote on it,” Moran said Tuesday. “So they want a 60-vote threshold versus a 51-vote threshold.”
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Moran argued the amendment is germane to the package, which includes VA funding, and is “entitled to 51 votes” — which some members argue could help it pass in the roughly evenly split Senate.
Asked about the push Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that negotiators are “trying to work it through.”
“We have a number of our members who have very serious objections to this so we’re trying to work it out,” he said, while hitting at Republicans he accused of trying to attach “poison pill amendments” to the funding package.
Kennedy has signaled he is digging in his heels on the issue.
“Whoever the people are that are unhappy are scared my amendment is gonna pass,” Kennedy said, adding he’s “looking at additional language — but that doesn’t mean I’m going to accept it.”
“It basically watered down the whole amendment, so it doesn’t do what the amendment is intended to do … but my amendment’s a good amendment, and I’m going with it,” he said.
Updated at 8:45 pm.