What’s NextSo all but a handful of Dems held together to rebuff the Republican attempt to push through a surveillance bill with retroactive immunity. With that, the Senate is off until tomorrow morning — when the battle will be rejoined.
The first fight looming is over an extension to the administration’s surveillance bill, the Protect America Act. Even if all sides were able to hash out a deal in the next few days, the Dems argue, they wouldn’t be able to get the bill signed before the law lapsed on Friday.
Up until now, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had refused to entertain any such scenario. It was part of the Senate Republican-administration tag-team squeeze play. But in remarks today, he seemed to soften his stance, saying that he might support a short extension to the PAA. But he didn’t say for how much time, and it’s apparently less than thirty days.
In the House tomorrow morning, they’ll hold a vote on a bill that would extend the PAA by thirty days. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has indicated he’ll try the same thing. But given the tactics the Republicans used last week, it’s far from clear that the Republicans will even allow a vote on it. So— we’ll see you in the morning.