Senate joins House in calling it quits

Under pressure from senators of all political stripes, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., agreed to effectively adjourn the Senate Thursday until after the elections, giving senators from both parties a little over two weeks to campaign for re-election.

After a meeting in Daschle's office, Daschle and Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., announced that the Senate would enter a series of pro forma sessions stretching until Nov. 12, when the House returns for a lame-duck session.

"It's over. Go home and relax," Lott told reporters after the meeting.

The pro forma session, which allows the Senate to convene with short notice, gives Democrats political cover from the inevitable GOP charges that the Senate is leaving Washington without finishing work on key priorities. Daschle said if senators strike improbable deals on legislation from homeland security to energy legislation, the Senate will return to session to vote on the issues.

Senate leaders spent several hours late Thursday devising last-minute agreements for miscellaneous legislation, but plans for the recess were never in doubt and were announced on the floor by Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev. Earlier, Lott said: "It's over until after the election. There's no intention of handling any substantive legislation."

Both chambers left open the possibility of returning. "There's a lot of work left to do," said a Daschle spokeswoman. "If Sen. [Phil] Gramm [R-Texas] should relent on his filibuster on homeland security, we want to be right here to pass it," she added, referring to the Texas Republican who continues to wrestle with Daschle over the procedure for a vote on homeland security legislation.

Earlier in the day, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., put his members on notice that the House, too, could return to Washington to approve the homeland bill or other pressing matters if deals are brokered before the election. However, a return to Capitol Hill before Election Day is doubtful.

Meanwhile, congressional leaders in both parties said this week that a post-election lame-duck session could be limited to less than a week.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, and Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said late Wednesday that the lame duck would not stretch into the week of Nov. 18.

Lott said Senate Republicans would press for the lame duck to wrap up by Nov. 15. "Our call is to try to get it all done that week," he said.

Work during the lame duck would consist mainly of approving another continuing resolution, voting on any conference reports that have emerged from negotiations and taking another crack at approving homeland security legislation.