Lott pops own trial balloon on shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Sunday floated a trial balloon suggesting that Congress pass a backup fiscal 1999 continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown and then popped it Monday.

"What we ought to do is pass a continuing resolution right now and say that when the end of the fiscal year comes, those [departments for which appropriations] have not been passed ... will continue operating while we continue to do our work," Lott said on "Fox News Sunday." However, Lott told reporters today he doubts Congress will consider and approve such a proposal.

Lott said Sunday that Democrats might be willing to sign on to a backup CR, adding, "I think everybody is going to begin to say, `Look, we've got to find a way to keep the process moving here and to do the people's business.' There's no reason for it to shut down." He said he plans to "do everything I can" to tell Congress it should set aside problems it cannot work out with the president.

However, talking to reporters today, Lott said, "We may not be able to pass [the backup CR] in this politically charged atmosphere," later adding, "I doubt we'll be able to do a generic one."

Lott said, however, that he has suggested to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., that Democrats and Republicans set aside their pet issues and enact legislation that must be passed. Lott said he is concerned that the administration might attempt "to take advantage" of the looming fiscal year deadline to help distract people's attention away from the president's problems.

Lott's generic CR plan was certain to attract opposition from appropriators. A House Appropriations panel aide said the Lott plan was similar to a year-long CR proposal that occasionally is floated toward the end of the fiscal year. Those types of plans remove any impetus to pass individual funding measures, the aide said.

"You like to be up against a wall at the end of the appropriations year because it forces decisions," the aide added.