Three major bills passed as House wraps up work

The House wrapped up its legislative work early Monday following passage of a $453.5 billion fiscal 2006 Defense spending bill, a $39.7 billion spending reconciliation package and the fiscal 2006 defense authorization conference report.

Republicans aimed to make Monday the last of the year, but the House will return Thursday in a pro forma session in case the Senate fails to pass the bills. The Senate outlook on the Defense appropriations bill is uncertain because it contains contentious language to allow oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The Defense spending bill passed the House on a bipartisan 308-106 vote. If the Senate balks at the ANWR language, the House would have to reconvene to resolve the impasse -- because a continuing resolution approved by the House and Senate Saturday expires Dec. 31.

Under that scenario, the entire House would not be called back before Dec. 27, according to aides. Members will not be asked to return if leaders can resolve problems by unanimous consent; otherwise roll- call votes would be necessary before New Year's Eve.

A number of other issues also could call the House back into session, particularly if problems arise over Senate passage of the Labor-HHS appropriations conference report, which was approved by the House last week.

If the House does not have to return before the end of the year, it will reconvene Jan. 31. There was little doubt on the outcome of the Defense spending bill in the House, even though efforts were made by Democrats and some Republicans to vote down the rule in protest of the ANWR language.

While 21 Republicans, mostly moderates, broke party ranks to vote against the rule, 16 Democrats, mostly ANWR proponents, joined Republicans to move to final passage on a 214-201 procedural vote.

Despite the overwhelming final support for the spending bill, members engaged in heated floor debate. Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., was furious about a last-minute provision to provide liability protections for avian flu vaccine manufacturers and create an unfunded compensation fund for people who suffer health problems as a result of taking the vaccine.

Obey said conferees were assured in writing Sunday that it would not be included in the final version, but language was inserted after conferees signed off.

"For the last eight hours we have been dealing with a majority leadership that has stripped out of the appropriations process and the conference virtually every understanding in those bills," Obey said on the floor. "We've had the United States Senate ram down our throats an ANWR provision, and after we were assured in conference there would be no [liability language], three hours after the conference report we get 45 pages that [Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.] and [House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.] insist be included in the conference report."

Obey was particularly critical of Hastert and Frist, calling them "a couple of musclemen in the Congress that think that they have the right to have everyone else do their bidding."