HR 2892 Back to Senate

The Senate will begin consideration of HR 2892, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2010, this morning. While passage of conference reports is usually a formality, the inclusion of language in this Conference Report that allows for transfer of the Guantanamo Detainees into the United States for trial might cause problems for this bill. There has been significant opposition to bringing detainees from Gitmo into the United States for any reason among Republicans and moderate Democrats. State side trials for some of the detainees is a key part of the Obama Administration’s plan for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay facility, so it will be interesting to see if Sen. Reid can hold together a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans to get a cloture vote on the debate for this bill. LATE NOTE (8:26 am - 10-20-09): There will be no cloture vote necessary on the HR 2868 Conference Report. Yesterday’s Congressional Record Daily Digest (pg D1194) includes the following description of today’s planned proceedings:

“A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing that at approximately 11:30 a.m., on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, Senate begin consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2892, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, with debate on the conference report limited to three hours and 15 minutes”.