Lott Sets GOP Priorities

Continuing attempts to blunt conservative criticism, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., today said Republicans remain committed to tax cuts and reform, going so far as to suggest the Senate might include language in the budget resolution calling for abolishing the tax code by the end of 2001.

Lott told reporters that a Senate GOP budget blueprint circulated in recent weeks suggesting $30 billion in tax cuts was a "guideline. That's all it was." Lott said Republicans want to pass education legislation providing tax relief for families sending children to private school, as well as a bill eliminating the so-called marriage penalty. He said there are several ways to pay for other tax cuts, adding that President Clinton has $30 billion in entitlement cuts in his budget that could help pay for tax relief.

Lott said he would oppose a tobacco tax increase and ruled out using tobacco settlement funds for a tax cut, saying they should be used for Medicare, medical research and a campaign to discourage teenagers from smoking--areas directly linked to smoking problems. He also said states should receive the bulk of tobacco settlement funds.

Lott said the Senate will consider a budget plan in mid-March, and that he would like to see the Senate consider before the Easter recess education legislation, the NATO enlargement bill and some sort of supplemental funding bill--although he cautioned details of that legislation remain unclear.

Separately, White House officials told Democratic congressional staffers at a meeting Friday that the supplemental funding request for Bosnia and Iraq Clinton plans to submit to Congress now stands at $625 million and is expected to rise as further costs are incurred. According to a source present at the meeting, the request will also include money for disaster relief in California and Maine.

Lott also included reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act as a priority, and sources this afternoon said Lott has talked with senators about bringing ISTEA to the Senate floor at the end of this week. Lott has said for weeks he wanted to wait until after the budget resolution set transportation funding levels before bringing ISTEA to the floor. But Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Chafee, R-R.I., told CongressDaily today that Senate leaders, including Budget Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., may attempt to finalize ISTEA funding levels for the budget resolution at a meeting Wednesday. Lott would then bring up ISTEA for floor debate after completing action on campaign finance reform.

Chafee cautioned that Lott's plan to begin ISTEA debate this week is still evolving and depends upon a deal at Wednesday's meeting. "It looks like we're moving at a faster pace than we thought earlier," Chafee said.

Lott also said the Senate could consider public utilities reform legislation, product liability reform, drug czar reauthorization legislation and a juvenile justice bill before the recess. He said he does not expect that the campaign reform legislation the Senate began considering Monday would remain on the floor for more than a week.