As I’ve noted, tomorrow is the day the Senate Judiciary Committee was supposed to markup the VRA renewal provision. It was unclear, as of this morning, whether or not some members of the committee (especially Sens. Cornyn, Coburn, and Sessions) might offer some amendments or otherwise slow down the bill. Yet according to today’s CQ Mid-day report, thing have changed dramatically. “… Specter, who was already planning to begin a committee markup of the bill tomorrow, now plans to complete work then so the full Senate can take up the bill Thursday with the goal of passing it this week.” If it is going to get done tomorrow, it sounds like there won’t be any serious amending of the bill.
What has happened? Has the Republican leadership convinced those Senators who had raised concerns about aspects of the bill that it is politically expedient to pass the bill now and get the issue behind them? (Perhaps there has been some negative fallout from last week’s house debate). Perhaps not coincidentally, this story appeared in today’s NY Times on GOP-African American relations faltering, and the possibility that President Bush will speak, for the first time as President, before the NAACP convention. He certainly will get a warmer welcome if he can do that with VRA renewal passed or assured.
UPDATE: President Bush has agreed to speak to the NAACP on Thursday, which could explain the timing.