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September 27, 2006
But it does keep their name in the papers...
Senators Schumer and Graham may be standing down... for now. (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate vote this week on a controversial bill threatening to impose steep tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States was put into doubt on Tuesday after the bill's authors said they were unsure whether to press ahead with the vote.
Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, told reporters after a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson they need to have further discussions before making a final decision on whether to hold a vote.
"He's certainly given us food for thought. There's no question about that," Schumer said.
Maybe he told them to read his speech. Elsewhere in the Reuters article....
There is no similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would also have to pass it for it to become law. The Bush administration has opposed the Senate bill but has not explicitly issued a threat to veto it if it is approved by Congress.
And there is no way that the House will even think about this before the election or during a lame duck session. That would explain why the White House has not explicitly said they would veto the bill. There is no reason for the White House to give this the time of day right now. Of course they also might remember that...
The latest deadline is September 30, but the two senators have agreed four times since April 2005 to delay a vote.
Senators Schumer and Graham could own this issue for years to come. They appear to have settled into an equilibrium that serves their purposes.
Posted by William Polley at September 27, 2006 12:17 AM
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Comments
they are are gross panderers and faux populists.
Posted by: jjj at September 29, 2006 10:22 AM