The 115th Congress-Washington 2017

[The United Artherian Federation]

Senate Floor, Williamson

"Mister President, I wish to change my vote to Aye."

[Chewion]

Senate Chamber

Senator Carter has been busy speaking with those he knew still loyal to him making sure they would follow his vote. Now standing up he bellowed out “Aye.” Before looking around at his allies in the chamber.

[Tumblrena]

Washington D.C.
United States Senate
1751
Monday
3 July
2017

McGareth receives a note from a man in a suit who he does not recognize and frowns but opens and reads it. He folds it and puts it in his wallet when he is done and takes time to consider.

[Meelducan]

Senate Floor

Darnell read the text message, and became unsure of how to vote. He would wait for another Democratic Colleague to vote before he did.

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

As the votes came in Winslow started having doubts about issuing a whip. She sighed out of frustration as she was walking up to Amaras.

"I have a dillema, Senator." She said as she approached Amaras, not wanting to be vague.

[Meelducan]

Senate Floor

Darnell: “Nay.”

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

"I understand."

The answer took something of a mental stretch, given the lack of information given in the statement, but Amaras felt confident enough to jump to a few conclusions, and pushed the envelope further as he continued.

"Some choices can be hard ones, when it comes to passing judgement," he noted with some vagueness.

[Imperial Esplanade]

Senate Chamber

Watching Winslow approach Amaras, Prejean slowly got up onto his feet and headed in their direction to approach the two, keenly interested in their conversation that would be ensuing. Giving the both of them a curt nod once present among them, listening attentively.

[The Orion Islands]

Wilson notices the growing conversation centered around Winslow and walks over. He stuffs the note from the suits in his pocket before arriving.
"Hello Madam Leader, Amaras, Prejean. What is the official party line on the vote? I personally liked her answers on containing China and spreading American values."

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

Joanne sighed once again.

"I'm going to be straightforward about this." she replied, paying little attention to the audience that's gathered around the two of them. "The White House really wants this nomination to go through and if I have to be honest I would like to enjoy a nice weekend without Denisevich on my case for once. So what's the problem? With the nominee that is."

Winslow seemed frustrated and even somewhat resigned.

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

The majority leader looked tired to Amaras's eyes, and he had thought of her as a woman of like mind to him for some time, so he decided to go with the assumption that Mondale's comments had managed to slide by her.

He fished around in his pocket, small chasms, tailored-to-fit as they were, and removed the third note he had written earlier, but not delivered, only to remember he had inked out the words. He chuckled quietly at his mental lapse, and went the verbal route.

"We have a small issue with a nominee who endorses a United Nations that would trample over the laws and Constitution of this country with nothing more than a Presidential invitation," he put in a light tone.

[Greater Arab State]

Senate Floor

Seeing the small group entered around Majority Leader Winslow, Kramer decided to slowly walk over.

"Good afternoon, Madam Majority Leader, Senator, Senator and Senator. Might I assume that this is an attempt to encourage those not following the whip to consider changing their votes?" Kramer asked gently, despite having a solid idea that it indeed was.

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

The repeated incursion of other Senators, Wilson and Kramer, at the least, Amaras did not mind Prejean's silent approach, was growing increasingly irksome in what he had thought was, or should be, at least a semi-private discussion, but he maintained his composure.

"There is no whip, Senator. We are simply discussing the issue at hand," he replied.

[Greater Arab State]

Senate Floor

The repeated incursion of other Senators, Wilson and Kramer, at the least, Amaras did not mind Prejean's silent approach, was growing increasingly irksome in what he had thought was, or should be, at least a semi-private discussion, but he maintained his composure.

"There is no whip, Senator. We are simply discussing the issue at hand," he replied.

Senate Floor

"My sincerest apologies Senator." Kramer responded, before removing himself from the conversation and back to his desk.

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

Joanne tried to recall Mondale's comments.

"Are we talking about the popular initiative and such?" She ran her hand through her hair before continuing. "If that's the case, I honestly don't think that was what she meant. If anything the methods mentioned by her were more characteristic of a third world country."

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

Sen. Kingston: "Nay"

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

"She specifically confirmed that a resolution of Congress, this Congress, would be a trigger for that kind of UN takeover," Amaras filled in. "The United States was certainly included in the countries she believes should be subject to that."

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

Joanne sighed for a yet another time.

"But that's not really a Presidential invitation." she replied refferencing Amaras' previous words in a tone far from a confrontational one. "Anyway I don't think it's going to happen in the United States, after all it is a big decision to make considering it's political conotations. The situation at home would have to get really bad for that to happen. If anything, this proposal allows poorer, but still democratic countries to request aid. That decision would have to be made by elected representatives who, at least on paper, are supposed to represent their people."

"Also, what good is a rule that applies to everyone except one country." Winslow added.

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

"It may be unlikely, but it shouldn't be a possibility at all," Amaras answered, in a similarly noncombative tone.

"If I'm frank, I don't know if I think we should have a United Nations at all," Amaras noted. "Frittering away our sovereignty to a centralized organization like that isn't what I'd call a good deal for this country. But I'm a realist, I expect that we're going to confirm an Ambassador to them. But if we are, an Ambassador who thinks that the UN can be a global government that overruns the laws of a country at the next Winston's whim, I couldn't think of a worse position for a nominee to have."

"I have respect for the Governor," Amaras continued. "She's done good work in Ohio. If she was here to be the next Secretary of Labor, I'd be a satisfied man, but I think it's clear that if there's one place she shouldn't be with that mindset, it's at the UN."

[Alozia]

Senate Floor

"Her words describe a very hypothetical idea and I don't think we should be voting down her nomination because of it. If she ever puts forward a detailed proposal that would threaten our soveregnity you will be absolutely justified in opposing her with every means necessary. Moreso, I will be there with you. But I don't think that this is it." Joanne replied. "I think the point she was trying to make is that the UN shouldn't get involved without the invitation of the country in question. If a nation is equiped with such a tool it could undermine the idea of a centralized UN. And if we're talking of a next Winston - that's what we have the impeachement process for. We did it once and frankly using the measures we're currently discussing seems like a good justification for a second time."

"She seems to understand that in diplomacy you can't say everything directly. She certainly knows the various challenges our diplomacy is facing. I think that this... questionable or unclear answer should not disqualify her for the position."

[Prolieum]

Senate Floor

"I wouldn't call it questionable. It seemed very clear." Amaras replied.

"She got the question of whether the UN should be able to involve itself in domestic politics, and she said yes, even said it should be able to use force to do it. We aren't talking about peacekeeping in Katakastan, or wherever, it was stepping in for domestic politics. We already see the UN trying to clamp down own guns and force abortion as a 'human right.' Do I think the Governor would support those kinds of initiatives? No, I don't. But would she support making a system that could force those in the future? She absolutely could, and that's the problem. It's building up a big cannon that isn't aimed at us right now, but is just waiting for someone else to take a shot with once it's cast."

[United City States of Oceania]

Senate Floor

Sunshine: "Aye."

[Vaquas]

Senate Floor

The Senator from Massachusetts did not hesitate in his response.

“Nay.”

[Vaquas]

U.S. Senate

The Junior Senator from Alaska was torn in three different directions, none of them ideal, none of them totally squaring with her worldview or her conscience.

The letter from Denisevich had done little to sway her in any direction, but she saw this as a sign that the White House was listening.

She pulled her phone from her purse and made a call to the White House. If they didn’t answer, that was on them, not her.

She idly wondered if her father was tuned in to the vote as the device rang.

[Tallahassee News Station]

Stacey couldn't hear at his distance even with sharp ears for his old age but he did watch the buzzing around on the Republican side of the room, all while leaning on his cane and making the appearance that he wasn't watching as closely as he was. Locklear reaching out to someone outside the room was almost definitely something that would push her the wrong direction so he quickly stepped in.

"Ah, Mr. President, I think there's one of them portable call phones that's not supposed to be here in here" he said with old man innocence