This vote was on killing an amendment by Tom Coburn, R-Okla., that would have paid for the costs of portions of the fiscal 2010 supplemental spending bill by cutting other federal programs, as well as by liquidating “surplus” property owned by the federal government. 

This was one of two such amendments Coburn offered (see vote 169).  The amendment was offered to a bill that would provide supplemental appropriations in fiscal 2010, including extra money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as money for veterans, areas affected by natural disasters, and and funding for some social policy initiatives, such as for teachers and firefighters.

Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, moved that Coburn’s amendment be killed.

There was no debate on the amendment itself.  Inouye said “I have been advised by the Senator from Oklahoma that we have had enough debate” and called for the vote.

By a vote of 50-47, the motion to kill the amendment was agreed to.  Of Democrats present, 47 voted to kill the amendment and eight voted against.  All but one Republican present voted against killing the amendment.  The end result is that the motion to kill the amendment succeeded, and the bill went forward without language that would have cut spending on several federal programs and liquidated “surplus” federal property, in order to pay for the cost of a bill that would provide supplemental funding for the wars and other items.