Frists 2nd Attachment Attempt Rebuffed
Published: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Online-Casinos.com
SECOND ATTACHMENT ATTEMPT BY FRIST REBUFFED
But aides say Republican politician will keep trying to find unrelated bills he can use to fast-track anti-online gambling measures.
The confusing manouevres of Washington politicians desperate to attach anti-online gambling legislation to any "must-pass" bill before Congress adjourns has continued over the past 24 hours, with Sen. Frist again attempting to use a Defence bill for the purpose despite an earlier rebuff by powerful Armed Services Committee senators.
Associated Press reports that Republican leaders in the House and Senate were blocked Wednesday by a senior GOP senator in their efforts to add immigration, handgun and Internet gambling measures to a defense bill.
Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, rejected appeals from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert to use his bill on military pay raises as a vehicle for their pet measures. Warner said in a memo to Frist he is "firmly opposed" to including unrelated and non-germane bills in the defense bill. Two other Republicans also oppose the add-on bills, Warner said.
Hastert had insisted on adding to the defense bill a measure the House passed last week that would make it easier to detain and deport illegal immigrants who are members of violent criminal street gangs. The speaker also wanted to use the defense bill as a vehicle for a House measure allowing judges to carry handguns and bolstering courthouse security.
Warner balked at both, saying he wanted to keep the defense bill bipartisan at a time when U.S. troops are at war. Warner said that he, along with Democrats and at least two other Republicans, would not sign off on it or any other "out-of-scope" bills that were added. "There are not even sufficient signatures to affect a partisan Republican" defense bill, he said.
Senate Democrats, including Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., support tightening court security. But the House-passed version allowing judges to carry concealed weapons cooled their support for the measure. Democrats also oppose aspects of the immigration bill, which has drawn fire from immigration rights groups.
Frist, eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, has been pushing for the Internet gambling crackdown. Among other things, the provision would ban the use of credit cards, checks and other forms of payment to settle online wagers.
Republican supporters of anti-online gambling law have not abandoned their attempts to push their measures through by any and all means possible.
A Republican aide said Frist has not given up on passing the Internet gambling bill before lawmakers recess at the end of this week to campaign for the November 7 elections. He and other proponents are looking at other possible vehicles, such as a pending measure to bolster port security against potential terrorist attacks, aides said.
"He wants to get it done," one aide said. "We are still working things out. Everyone is still talking." A senior Democratic aide said, "I wouldn't pronounce it dead yet."
Efforts to win support for a version of the House bill in the Senate have been opposed by lobbyists representing casino owners and horse- and dog-racing interests.
Democrats have criticised the Republican-backed measure as an election-year appeal to the party's conservative base, particularly the religious right.
