Stun GOP

House Democrats stun GOP by sinking veterans, intel bills

By CONNOR O’BRIEN

House Democrats sank two key bills on the House floor Monday, embarrassing Republican leaders who were banking on the noncontroversial legislation sailing through — in a new sign of the opposition's party's frustration with the majority's approach.

Kicking off a busy week in the House, most Democrats and a handful of Republicans joined forces to deny GOP leaders big-enough majorities to pass an annual intelligence policy bill and legislation to restore funding for a key veterans health care program.

Both bills came to the House floor Monday under suspension of the rules, an expedited process that allows for less than an hour of debate and no amendments but also requires a two-thirds majority for passage.

The suspension process is typically used for noncontroversial bills that have broad bipartisan support. One suspension bill failing on the House floor is a rarity, but two back to back is extremely rare.

First, the House voted down the 2018 intelligence authorization bill, which sets policy for intelligence agencies and authorizes funding for classified programs.

Democrats opposed the bill after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi argued in a letter to her Caucus on Sunday that the expedited process was inappropriate given the ongoing investigation into Russian election meddling prompted by U.S. intelligence findings — and the failure to establish an independent commission to look into the matter.

"On its merits, I believe the [intelligence policy bill] should and will become law," said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. But he added that the bill "should go through regular order so that members may offer amendments."

Next, Democrats united to defeat a $2 billion bill to replenish for six months the emergency Veterans Choice Program, which subsidizes private medical care outside the Veterans Affairs Department for veterans facing lengthy wait times and is set to run dry in August.

Democrats cited opposition from a large group of veterans organizations that called on Congress to reject the bill because it pays for the program through cuts in the VA.

Following the vote, House Veterans' Affairs Chairman Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) fired back at Democrats, contending the bill had bipartisan support ahead of Monday's debate.

"This was a bipartisan agreement, and I’m disappointed the concerns raised on the House floor today were not mentioned during what I thought was an open and honest conversation," Roe said in a statement.

Both bills could return to the House floor later this week. But leadership will likely now send the legislation through the House Rules Committee, which could rule amendments in order but could just as likely allow Republicans to pass the bill as is with a simple majority.

The pair of setbacks also means Republicans will have to hurry to pass the bills. The House leaves for a month-long August recess at the end of this week.