Our new senators have conducted their first vote. Surprisingly, the vote occurred on a Sunday, and it was a cloture vote on a package of legislation that had been held up in the last Congress by Tom Coburn’s extensive use of filibusters. The legislation is informally named the Coburn Omnibus Bill, and it is mainly concerned with Land Use issues. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) explains:
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, however, defended the merits of the legislation.
Bingaman has noted that the omnibus contains an equal mix of Democratic and Republican bills and has bipartisan sponsors.
“Collectively, the bill is one of the most sweeping conservation laws considered by the Senate in recent years. It will designate over 2 million acres of wilderness in nine different states,” said Bingaman in a statement.
“It would establish three new units of the National Park System, a new National Monument and three new National Conservation Areas, and codify the Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America historic preservation programs,” Bingaman added.
It isn’t exactly a sexy bit of law, but it is all stuff that could not get through the last Congress and is going to pass in this one. Based on Harry Reid’s statement, I think the legislation includes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Reid told The Hill that he needed to pass a cloture motion to end debate and proceed to the bill because he wanted to pass the lands bill and The Lilly Ledbetter Act, which would reverse a Supreme Court decision on wage discrimination lawsuits, before President-elect Obama’s inauguration.
“I’m trying to work to get as much done before the inauguration [as possible],” said Reid. “I’m trying to get Lilly Ledbetter done before the holiday.”
The Lilly Ledbetter Act protects women against wage discrimination. So, it’s good to see that some progress is being made right out of the gate.
