A big chunk of the upcoming Senate budget vote-a-rama will be a waste of time — like votes on senators’ pet causes or generic partisan issues.
But there’s some good news buried in the dozens of amendments expected to come across the Senate floor in a marathon session Friday: A handful of them will matter.
Continue ReadingNone of them will actually become law, but some will test support for important bills to come later this year or beyond. Others could define possible 2016 candidates. And others still could tell President Barack Obama whether he’s got a shot at a grand bargain.
(Also on POLITICO: Rare vote-a-rama set for Senate)
But to spare you sitting through the full slog, here’s a list of amendments to watch.
The Ryan budget
What it does: Democrats will offer the latest version of Paul Ryan’s budget, which the House approved Thursday.
Why it matters: Sure, it’s a messaging vote, but one with weight.
If any Senate Republicans don’t vote for it, it weakens the GOP bargaining position going into future talks.
And if they all vote for it, Democratic ad-makers will have the easiest job in the world for next year’s Senate races.
(Also on POLITICO: House passes Ryan budget)
A telling sign: Sen. Jeff Sessions doesn’t want to offer Ryan’s budget himself.
At a Thursday press conference, Sessions insisted that “I’ve supported the Ryan in the past,” but argued that the focus should stay on the Democratic plan — even though the whole point of the press conference was to call for a balanced budget. The Democrats just want to shift the focus from their budget to Ryan’s budget, he said, “and I’m not interested in doing that.”
Internet sales tax
What it does: GOP Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming is offering an amendment that endorses a bill that would help states collect their sales taxes when people buy products from out-of-state online retailers.
Why it matters: This vote isn’t likely to break along the usual partisan lines. It’s a vote of support for the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill, and its supporters include not just Enzi, but leading Democrats like Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — both of whom spoke in support of the amendment Thursday afternoon.
If it gets a big bipartisan vote, the amendment could put pressure on top committee chairmen — including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) — who don’t want to move ahead with the bill in its current form. “Our momentum is growing,” Klobuchar said in a Senate floor speech.
School choice
What it does: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wants a vote on his amendment to promote private-school “scholarships” for low-income children. It’s based on his bill to encourage organizations to grant the scholarships by offering them tax credits.
Why it matters: It’s not really going to jump-start the school choice debate, especially in a Democratic Senate that’s wary of it. But it’s Marco Rubio — and this is the issue he chose for the star power he brings to the budget debate. That alone makes it worth watching — if not now, then for whatever he might do with the issue in 2016.
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