orenbus
09-09-2013, 08:25 AM
With the nation waiting to learn if Congress will authorize an attack on Syria and President Obama arguing his case in a national address Tuesday, one person who could determine the outcome is the temporary senator from New Jersey, who did not even know three months ago that he would be working in Washington.
Jeffrey Chiesa was the state attorney general when Governor Christie, a close friend, came to his house and asked him to fill the vacancy caused by the June 3 death of longtime Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg until voters could pick a replacement. The special election is next month.
Like many in Congress, Chiesa isn’t saying how he will vote. The number of lawmakers who have announced they will vote “no” is large enough, however, that all signs point to a close vote if approval is granted at all.
Chiesa’s record during his brief tenure in Congress, and comments that he and Christie have made on Syria, indicate Obama might be able to get Chiesa’s support if enough other Republicans are on board with him.
On issues such as immigration reform and procedural motions to bring bills and nominations to the floor or keep them from being bottled up, Chiesa has been willing to join a minority of his colleagues in helping Democrats, even when a majority of Republicans voted the other way.
But if there are only a handful of Republicans willing to join the president, Chiesa may not be with them.
Chiesa’s first vote, on June 10, was against an amendment to a spending bill for farm programs offered by Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy that dealt with rural Internet services. Only two Republicans voted “yes,” so Chiesa was in sync with the majority of his party. A half hour later, Chiesa was among the 18 Republicans who supported the overall farm bill, joining the Democratic majority while 25 other Republicans voted “no.” That bill was later denounced by the House leadership as too costly.
The same pattern played out as immigration reform came up over the following two weeks. Chiesa joined a Republican minority and most or all of the Democrats on six votes on motions and amendments to keep the bill alive, and ultimately to pass the final bill. In each of those votes, a majority of Republicans voted the other way.
At the same time, Chiesa has usually stayed with his party’s majority when only one or two Republicans join with the Democrats, or when only a few Republicans are trying to block something. An online database maintained by the Washington Post found that Chiesa votes with his party 82 percent of the time.
When Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tried to cut foreign aid to Egypt because of the military-backed ouster of its president, for example, Chiesa voted with 33 Republicans and all the Democrats against it. Paul’s amendment got only 13 “yes” votes.
http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/jackson/Jackson_NJs_temporary_senator_could_have_key_vote_ on_Syria_attack.html
Jeffrey Chiesa was the state attorney general when Governor Christie, a close friend, came to his house and asked him to fill the vacancy caused by the June 3 death of longtime Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg until voters could pick a replacement. The special election is next month.
Like many in Congress, Chiesa isn’t saying how he will vote. The number of lawmakers who have announced they will vote “no” is large enough, however, that all signs point to a close vote if approval is granted at all.
Chiesa’s record during his brief tenure in Congress, and comments that he and Christie have made on Syria, indicate Obama might be able to get Chiesa’s support if enough other Republicans are on board with him.
On issues such as immigration reform and procedural motions to bring bills and nominations to the floor or keep them from being bottled up, Chiesa has been willing to join a minority of his colleagues in helping Democrats, even when a majority of Republicans voted the other way.
But if there are only a handful of Republicans willing to join the president, Chiesa may not be with them.
Chiesa’s first vote, on June 10, was against an amendment to a spending bill for farm programs offered by Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy that dealt with rural Internet services. Only two Republicans voted “yes,” so Chiesa was in sync with the majority of his party. A half hour later, Chiesa was among the 18 Republicans who supported the overall farm bill, joining the Democratic majority while 25 other Republicans voted “no.” That bill was later denounced by the House leadership as too costly.
The same pattern played out as immigration reform came up over the following two weeks. Chiesa joined a Republican minority and most or all of the Democrats on six votes on motions and amendments to keep the bill alive, and ultimately to pass the final bill. In each of those votes, a majority of Republicans voted the other way.
At the same time, Chiesa has usually stayed with his party’s majority when only one or two Republicans join with the Democrats, or when only a few Republicans are trying to block something. An online database maintained by the Washington Post found that Chiesa votes with his party 82 percent of the time.
When Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tried to cut foreign aid to Egypt because of the military-backed ouster of its president, for example, Chiesa voted with 33 Republicans and all the Democrats against it. Paul’s amendment got only 13 “yes” votes.
http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/jackson/Jackson_NJs_temporary_senator_could_have_key_vote_ on_Syria_attack.html