Fate of $820 billion omnibus spending bill still unclear

A variety of issues ranking from concerns about "mad cow" disease to changes in media ownership and overtime compensation rules continue to stymie efforts by Senate GOP leaders to invoke cloture and pass the $820 billion fiscal 2004 omnibus spending bill next Tuesday.

Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is holding firm on his demands that provisions negotiated by GOP leaders without Democratic consent be altered or addressed through separate legislation, and he is threatening to delay the omnibus until such demands are met.

Republican aides concede that separate legislation may have to be written to accommodate Daschle, particularly on country-of-origin labeling and animal identification, since the only alternative to the omnibus is a full-year continuing resolution funding the government at fiscal 2003 levels, estimated to be $6 billion less than the fiscal 2004 measure would provide. As a conference report, the omnibus cannot be amended and House GOP leaders refuse to reopen negotiations to assuage Senate Democrats and a few GOP holdouts.

Currently, the votes fall well short of the 60 required to cut off debate, and even a majority for final passage is not certain. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., wrote to senators Thursday arguing that "no" votes on the omnibus "will not reflect well on the Senate, the Congress, or our government" as the measure contains funding priorities such as a 4.1 percent federal pay raise, $80 million to address food safety and $50 million to combat the recent flu outbreak. Frist's letter comes on the heels of a letter to senators last week by Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, listing home-state earmarks that would not be funded if senators vote down the omnibus.

The omnibus contains a provision that would delay country-of-origin labeling requirements as mandated by the 2002 farm bill until 2006. Daschle and Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., wrote President Bush Thursday to urge him to issue emergency country-of-origin labeling regulations because a cow found to have "mad cow" disease was born in Canada.

A Daschle aide said Enzi is believed to be expressing the views of other GOP senators who support labeling and may vote against cloture because of it.

In an apparent attempt to counter criticism of the labeling delay, the Food Marketing Institute announced Friday that a coalition including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council have agreed to establish a "consensus voluntary labeling program."