Senators Engage In Bipartisan Civil Disobedience, Refuse To Halt Hearing

Jim Webb and Lindsey Graham had an unorthodox answer to a Republican parliamentary maneuver that blocked committees from meeting on Wednesday: Bipartisan civil disobedience.

"We just decided that we would continue unless somebody told us to stop." said Webb, a veteran, former Secretary of the Navy and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, which was holding a hearing on military health systems.

Just before the hearing, his staff told him that there were rumors Republicans would object to continued hearings and that at 11, by rule, it would need to be halted. An unidentified Republican was planning to make use of an obscure rule that requires unanimous consent to conduct hearings any time after 2:00 p.m. or more than two hours after the Senate comes into session.

"Then at a quarter-till[-eleven] we got a text message saying we're supposed to stop at 11," Webb told HuffPost. "You can always talk."

Webb (D-Va.) consulted with the committee's top-ranking Republican, he said, as to whether the committee members should continue to exercise their First Amendment rights. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was willing to buck the exemption.

"Webb and Graham kinda went rogue," said Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a subcommittee member who dropped by the hearing after her own was shut down. "They said, Well, they were just gonna keep going. I think everybody would be afraid to say no to Jim Webb and Lindsey Graham."

McCaskill was chairing a separate committee hearing on a contract for training security forces in Afghanistan that was canceled. "At some point," said an envious McCaskill, "Graham left and came back saying the committee had permission to continue. I don't know who he called or how he got permission, but our cloakroom told me after the fact that while the hearing was going Lindsey had taken some steps to get permission for the hearing to go forward."

Webb spokeswoman Jessica Smith, and Webb himself, gave credit to Graham for not objecting to the hearing - though that makes for a low bar for bipartisan cooperation. "The fact that we carried on was testament to Senator Graham. An inspiring show of bipartisanship in an otherwise contentious, divisive week," said Smith.

Comments

[Sonia Vivar]

06:42 PM on 03/26/2010

These kind of antics are no longer amusing or productive. And YES we will remember these events, when were voting.

[super]

06:00 PM on 03/26/2010

If they stop work, can we stop paying them?

esp.McCain who has said he's not going to work again until Nov.

[Snarkyone]

11:22 AM on 03/26/2010

This antiquated law or rule needs to be repealed. To deliberately hold up the government of the people, by the people and supposedly for the people (I sincerely doubt this is the case any longer) because voting didn't go your way in the Presidential election and the following couple of years of the administration should be a felony punishable by prison, just as obstruction of justice would be for interfering with a police officer while performing his/her duties. Personally I hope the people grab their pitchforks and storm the place and start over.

[Toxictort]

04:19 PM on 03/25/2010

Must be nice to only work 2 hours a day and get paid $177 K a year when the rest of America is riddled with unemployment and debt. Who is it that employs them again? Oh yeah, us! Yet these are the same people who rile up their supporters to go against people receiving handouts from the govt. In my book if you put in 2 hours and get a full day's pay, it's a handout. What should we do to employees who refuse to work? FIRE THEM!

[Schalaine]

08:22 PM on 03/25/2010

Nov. 2010 should be an interesting time. Will the GOP be rewarded by the American people by being elected? I say, "H.ell No, sendthebastardspacking"

[Randy Shepherd]

11:22 AM on 03/26/2010

That is what i was thinking. come re-election time the issue is not why didn't you play nicely in the sandbox, but rather why did you only work 2hrs. This is basically the GOP Union going on strike, which is rather ironic considering their stand on unions

[Mydian01]

04:14 PM on 03/25/2010

"The fact that we carried on was testament to Senator Graham. An inspiring show of bipartisanship in an otherwise contentious, divisive week,"

this made me laugh, Graham is no fan of the crazies that have taken over his party, but he is in no way a true bipartisan by any stretch of the definition.

[hubbahubba77]

02:57 PM on 03/25/2010

They need to do away with this "obscure" rule (not so obscure anymore) PRONTO! I am SICK of reading these stories.

[TEHelms]

02:35 PM on 03/25/2010

The Democrats need to continue to call the Republicans bluff. The rules of the Senate are there to promote civility but the Republicans only play by the rules when they make the rules, don't they. Well, call them out, especially on the filibuster. Don't just run because they threaten, make them actually stand up and look foolish for not doing the people's business. You don't have to be mean; just be firm as Senator Jim Webb was and hold the high ground. (The Corps taught him well!)

[Laws456]

02:34 PM on 03/25/2010

This is ridiculous. And yet, people are going to vote in more Republicans this year. Makes me wonder why people haven't taken the red pill yet.

[hubbahubba77]

03:02 PM on 03/25/2010

Don't talk like that. The elections are a long way off and the Democrats and independents have a lot going for them. We need to do whatever we can -- social networking, pounding the pavement, making calls -- to make sure that voter turnout is high this fall, because if it is, we can't lose.

[swan1]

02:22 PM on 03/25/2010

Webb is my sister's cousin (by marriage). He is always his own man.

[ClaudiaL]

02:54 AM on 03/26/2010

Senator Graham will probably be targeted by the Tea Party crowd now. He is welcome to come over to the winning side with the Dems. We like diversity.

[wallyone]

02:13 PM on 03/25/2010

I am so glad I worked to get Jim Webb elected. Don't other states have courageous people like him?

[TheAnti-Bush]

11:29 PM on 03/25/2010

Apparently not.

[TheAnti-Bush]

11:54 PM on 03/25/2010

Yes, let's not get carried away about an election that is 7 months away. Besides, the R's have begun eating their own and if that keeps up, only the carrion like Palin and Beck, etc. will be left to run. The moderates & independents will not support this lunatic fringe. And anyway, it's about time for Palin to pull one of her "quitting" stunts again.

I'm MUCH more concerned about all the violence coming from the fringe. Boehner put out a tepid "No no" today but none of the kooks listen to him. Cantor implies the DEMOCRATS are to blame for the violent acts! Bizarre. These guys seem to have lost their grasp of reality. We are living in politically frightening times. I believe a Republican sweep at the polls (as unlikely as that is) to be the LEAST of our worries.

[LDF]

09:53 AM on 03/26/2010

Remember, Bush-Cheney etal said that they were operating under a different "reality."

[Butquestioning]

02:01 PM on 03/25/2010

I think we should jsut pay them by the hour...and if part time, they should have few benefits. Maybe losing thier pay and health insurance would make them think twice about not doing the work they were elected to do. They are thre to represent the people and we sure have to work to get paid.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

02:10 PM on 03/25/2010

I called my senator's office in Wash, DC yesterday and told the aide that we are taxpayers and I expect my senator to work all day like the rest of america. He is no better than anyoneelse. I also told her that we weren't getting our money's worth by him always saying no without proposing anything to help make things better for all americans.

[slim1921]

01:47 PM on 03/25/2010

My guess is Miss Lindsey was afraid of a lashin' from Mr. Webb (he LOOKS scary). And he knows he and McCain can kiss and make up later.

[Sergeant]

02:08 PM on 03/25/2010

Sounds like a homophobic attack?

[Forester]

01:26 PM on 03/25/2010

Strange days have found us
And through their strange hours
We linger alone
Bodies confused
Memories misused
As we run from the day
To a strange night of stone

-The Doors

[Josh Seipp]

01:42 PM on 03/25/2010

"Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer..."

[HST]

04:42 PM on 03/25/2010

"The future's uncertain and the end is always near."

[oldwhitewomantoo]

01:21 PM on 03/25/2010

Senator Webb, I'm proud to call you my Senator!

And, thank you, Senator Graham, for not letting the obstructionists win out at least in this committee meeting.

[hubbahubba77]

02:58 PM on 03/25/2010

Graham has at least half a brain, and apparently a modicum of respect for others, and I applaud him for that. To Jim Webb all I can say is...I love you, man!

[hrc04]

01:15 PM on 03/25/2010

Lindsey, didn't you hear your bosom buddy McCain say not to work with the Democrats anymore? You've got some 'splainin to do....

[TheAnti-Bush]

12:09 AM on 03/26/2010

Yeah, Lindsey, you best listen to John "Country First" McCain-----But maybe he's too busy ( fleecing people for campaign donations so he can keep his senate seat and "work tirelessly " for repeal of this abominable Health Reform Law!) to notice.