In brief: Late-term abortion ban passes House
WASHINGTON – Republicans finally won House approval Wednesday for a late-term abortion ban after dropping rape provisions that provoked a rebellion by female GOP lawmakers, forcing party leaders into an embarrassing retreat.
The near party-line 242-184 vote was a victory for abortion opponents and a relief for top Republicans. Yet the path to passage took months of negotiations among anti-abortion groups, female lawmakers and party leaders, underscoring how tough it will be for the GOP to satisfy abortion foes while retaining support from women voters for next year’s elections.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the bill “the most pro-life legislation to ever come before this body,” adding, “We should all be proud to take this stand today.”
Even with House passage, the measure stands little chance of becoming law. Its fate is uncertain in the more moderate Senate and President Barack Obama would likely veto it, leaving it chiefly a platform for both parties to signal their abortion stances to their supporters.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the measure contrasted with the usual Republican demands for keeping government out of people’s lives, saying, “The bill continues to add a harsh burden to survivors of sexual assault, rape and incest who are already enduring unimaginable hardship.”
The legislation forbids most abortions starting with the 20th week of pregnancy.
Senate to open debate on trade plan
WASHINGTON – Senators reached a deal Wednesday to move forward on President Barack Obama’s trade agenda only one day after Democrats embarrassed him by blocking it.
Lawmakers said roughly a dozen Senate Democrats agreed to let full-blown debate begin after both parties’ leaders consented to tweak the package that failed on a procedural vote Tuesday. Those Democrats’ votes were the difference between blocking the agenda and letting it move ahead.
The breakthrough doesn’t assure Obama of receiving “fast track” negotiating authority, which would let him send to Congress trade proposals it can kill or ratify, but not amend. That’s still subject to weeks or months of Senate and House debates, amendments and votes.
But the breakthrough gave the White House a welcomed respite from the negative headlines stemming from Tuesday’s setback, which was driven entirely by Democrats.
Most Democratic lawmakers oppose free-trade agreements, saying they reduce U.S. jobs. Labor unions and liberal groups, which are vital to Democrats’ campaigns, strongly oppose fast track.
Tuesday’s impasse involved side issues including a proposal to punish countries that keep their currency artificially low to boost exports. Wednesday’s agreement calls for a stand-alone vote on a customs enforcement bill that includes “currency manipulation” sanctions, perhaps as early as Thursday.
A vote on fast track would come later, possibly next week.
Under Wednesday’s agreement, the Senate will vote first on the customs enforcement bill, and then on a bill to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Agreement. Those bills drew less debate in the Senate Finance Committee than did the fast track bill.
Richardson, Milley are Pentagon’s picks
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Ash Carter nominated two top military officers Wednesday to take charge of the Army and Navy, selecting men who have faced public scrutiny over the past year for their key leadership roles in high-profile cases.
Speaking at the Pentagon, Carter said he is recommending Adm. John Richardson, head of the Navy’s nuclear program, to be the next chief of naval operations, and Gen. Mark Milley to be the next Army chief of staff.
Milley, the current head of U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., was assigned to review the case of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held captive by the Taliban for five years. After spending months reviewing the massive case file, Milley made the decision to charge Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Richardson has served as director of the Navy’s nuclear reactors program since November 2012, and last year he ordered a broad investigation into allegations that a cheating ring had operated undetected for at least seven years at a nuclear power training site. Nearly three dozen sailors were kicked out of the program after the Navy discovered they were cheating on qualification exams. They were seeking to become qualified as instructors at the nuclear training unit in Charleston, South Carolina. Students there are trained in nuclear reactor operations to prepare for service on any of the Navy’s 83 nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.
Both men face Senate confirmation.