Politico reports on a somewhat fascinating development regarding action to be taken on the almost 100 bills currently being held up by Senator Coburn (R-OK). It appears that Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and other Democratic leaders are working on a “Coburn Omnibus” bill to be voted upon by the full Senate in July.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is planning a “Coburn Omnibus” for July that would wrap most if not all of the bills held by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) into one large measure to be voted on by the Senate, according to a Coburn aide and two Democratic leadership staffers.
Coburn is blocking roughly a hundred bills that are generally non-controversial or have broad support. By placing a hold, Coburn prevents the bills from passing quickly through the Senate under a unanimous consent request. With floor time at such a premium, Reid would have trouble bringing up each bill for an individual debate and vote.
But in a stroke of legislative creativity that may have no precedent, Reid could lump all of the bills into one package and bring up the Coburn Omnibus for a single vote. Coburn can still object, but the broad popularity of the bills means that there would likely be more than enough support for veto-proof passage.
Notably, the article mentions the possibility of a few somewhat controversial bills, which are not being held up by Senator Coburn alone, being snuck into the package. The reasoning for those bills being included in the overall package is that there are a limited number of “legislative vehicles” left in the Senate this year which have a chance of passing and being sent to the President.
Update: More back and forth between Senator Coburn and the Majority Leader. Additionally, we’ve posted another update dealing with a letter sent from Coburn to Reid which outlines the possible scenarios for floor debate.
Congress in Your Pocket
S E N A T U S 
I can’t say that I know about all of these bills here, included in this omnibus bill.
— ALS Registry Act
— Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2008
— Beach Protection Act of 2008
— Broadband Data Improvement Act
— Captive Primate Safety Act
— Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act
— Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
— Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007
— Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act of 2007
— Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007
— Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2007
— Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2008
— FOARAM Act
— Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Amendments of 2008
— Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2008
— Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act
— Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act
— Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2008
— National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2008
— National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008
— NOAA Undersea Research Program Act of 2008
— Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act
— Overseas Private Investment Corporation Reauthorization Act of 2008
— Predisaster Hazard Mitigation Act of 2008
— Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act
— Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act
— PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
— Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology To Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008
— Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
— Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008
— Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2008
— Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act
— Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act
— Support for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2008
— Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2008
— Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2007
— Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2008
Vision Care for Kids Act of 2008
However I do know about one, the Mothers Act, and the inclusion of this one was sufficient enough for me to contact my congressmen, to block cloture and defeat the entire bill. (Both of whom voted against)
But why would I, or any one be against mothers?
Well lets see…..First, lets look at Melanie Blocker Stokes, for whom the Mothers Act is named, a woman who was put on a cocktail of mind altering psychiatric drugs and electro-shocked BEFORE she took her life. This bill seeks to do the same to countless others, submitting them to the whim of psychiatrists without there consent. Second, even though the bill has never been brought before the appropriate Senate committee for discussion and committee vote, this bill has been included, with others, in the packaged “Omnibus” bill.
But more importantly, I am opposed to The Mothers Act itself, which has been packaged with this larger bill. In brief, It denies informed consent to the countless number of mothers (and their children) who will be placed on suicide inducing anti-depressants as a result of this legislation.
I am opposed to any procedure that denies any discussion of a bill before it is voted on. Can’t wait to find out what’s in the rest of them, and see what other fun they have in store for us.