Senate standoff on appropriations bills is brewing

The effort by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to keep the Senate on a regimented schedule of fiscal 2002 appropriations bills could once again force a standoff with Senate Republicans, who say they will insist on the right to offer amendments, while demanding speedy action on presidential nominations. Daschle Tuesday night hinted that part of the August recess was at risk if the Senate fails to make sufficient progress on appropriations. "We're going to have to make it up before we leave for the August break," he said. Wednesday, Senate Republican Conference Chairman Larry Craig of Idaho, responded by saying: "Shame on him, because that in itself is a false statement. He knows that August for families is sacrosanct, and he'll be the first one to leave. My guess is his bags are already packed." Noting that Daschle also threatened to keep the Senate in session through the July Fourth recess, Craig said, "He tosses that stuff around so lightly." Senate Republicans and Democrats have failed so far today to reach a procedural agreement on the Energy and Water appropriations bill that is under consideration. Republicans have said they do not want to agree to a deadline or time limit on amendments until all of their members have finished submitting amendments. Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he still expected that the Energy and Water spending bill could be completed Wednesday night and the Senate would then turn to the Transportation appropriations bill, which has hit a stumbling block over the issue of regulations for Mexican trucks entering the United States. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said he was working with a group of senators to fashion a new compromise proposal on the issue before the bill reaches the floor. Craig said Republicans are circulating a list of 60 presidential nominations that they want the Senate to confirm this week, while Republican committee chairmen are working to develop policy and funding amendments to offer on appropriations bills before the recess. He called Daschle's plan to pass nine spending bills before the recess "phenomenally ambitious," and noted that as minority leader, Daschle "blocked and stopped appropriations bills last year, but now that he's leader, he wants things done overnight." Craig noted that Republicans were able to win confirmation last week of a large number of nominees by using the tools provided under Senate rules, something he said sent a signal--"Mr. Daschle: you may have the job of running the train, but I can dislocate the tracks." A Daschle spokeswoman said that Daschle is an "orderly, goal-oriented human being" who intends to move spending bills at a fast pace. As for nominations, she said, "To some extent, it depends on how much progress we make on appropriations bills."