Hearing Problems

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ran smack-dab into the train that is the Republican effort to defeat health-care reform efforts today. It seems the Republicans have invoked an obscure Senate rule that basically shuts down Senate business in the afternoon -- which today meant Levin’s hearing on U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Forces Korea had to be scrapped.

And his office wants the press to know he’s not happy about it, judging by this statement sent to reporters:

It is astounding to me that Republicans have taken a step of such pointless, blind obstructionism. It cannot achieve their goal of obstructing health care reform. Instead, they are obstructing a hearing that has nothing to do with the health care debate and everything to do with the defense of our nation. And they have disrupted the schedules of senior commanders who in two cases have traveled thousands of miles from their troops, and who would be providing the Senate with information on pressing national security topics such as North Korea’s nuclear program, Chinese military capability and the threat of cyber-warfare. Our national security should not be held hostage to Republican pique over health care.

In an addendum to the press release, Levin’s office later pointed out that ranking member John McCain (R-AZ) wanted to hold the hearing, too.