below is from FNC’s Chad Pergram:
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Urgent: Sen. Graham on neither body passing sequester replacement: We all looked like Pygmies today.
Per Pergram-Capitol Hill
Off-camera from various lawmakers after the Senate failed to advance both sequester replacement bills.
Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX):
There’s very little to fix…accept for the flexibility to the Defense Department.
Cornyn’s expectations for tomorrow’s White House meeting with top Congressional leaders:
Zero. Photo op.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):
I will do anything to see that the sequester as it pertains to defense is nullified.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC):
We’re on a bumpy road called the sequestration. How do you find an off-ramp?
Graham says he has been pushing an idea..and getting responses from senators on both sides of the aisle to include some revenue increases but fix entitlements.
Graham:
Let’s re-think the big deal.
Graham:
I think there is a glimmer of hope that could grow over time when they realize how dumb this is (the sequester). A short-term deal will make me throw up.
Graham:
How does a Member of Congress go on a military base after what we did to them today?
Graham:
We all looked like Pygmies today. Every Member of Congress looks like a Pygmie.
So what is the next step? Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is prepping an omnibus spending bill…which is different from a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government running past March 27. This would glom many of the appropriations bills together…rather than just renew spending at the old level (with the sequester hit included).
