Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, told reporters Thursday that House leaders expect the Senate to vote on the Syria resolution on Sept. 11.
Reading an email off his phone from his chief of staff, Culberson indicated that Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., thinks the Senate will vote on the Syria resolution next Wednesday.
While the House may not always have the best idea of what is going on in the Senate, “Cantor expects the Senate to vote on 9/11,” Culberson said, parroting the guidance email.
While the Sept. 11 anniversary might seem like a curious day to hold the vote, Culberson thought it was fitting.
“How could it be any clearer? That’s the perfect day to do it,” Culberson said. “They need to defeat it to honor the victims of 9/11 and we will not give aid and comfort to al-Qaida and the psychopaths that carried out the 9/11 attacks.”
That theory, however, may be complicated Senate rules.
If Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., moves to put the resolution on the floor Sept. 9, a test vote on the resolution would likely occur on Sept. 11. Sixty votes would be needed to bypass any blockade to bringing the measure up. If the measure gets past that Wednesday vote, a vote on final passage could occur on Sept. 12, if all senators agreed. However, any senator could attempt to filibuster, which would push a final passage vote to Sept. 14 — one hour after midnight — unless a time agreement could be reached.
Of course, the night of Sept. 13 is Yom Kippur, and with the House likely needing more time to woo votes, the Senate is unlikely to be in session.
The week of Sept. 16 seems a more realistic target for final passage.
Anything, however, is possible in the Senate with unanimous consent.
