House actions put pressure on Senate to avoid bottleneck

With the House set to finish all 11 fiscal 2006 appropriations bills by the end of this month, the pressure is on Senate leaders to figure out a floor strategy to avoid the unruly process that characterized last year's endgame spending negotiations.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has reserved floor time next week for up to two spending bills -- either the Interior-EPA or Homeland Security bills, perhaps both -- but after the July Fourth recess the appropriations schedule remains uncertain, according to leadership and committee staff.

Two candidates for floor time next month are the already-reported fiscal 2006 Energy and Water measure and the fiscal 2006 Defense spending bill, which will not be marked up until late in July. A key question for Frist is how to handle the fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill, which traditionally moves before the appropriations bill. To save time, he could choose to either shelve the authorization bill or "dual track" it with appropriations bills.

Aside from the Energy and Water and Defense bills, it is possible "regular order" in July could continue with consideration of less controversial measures. Senate aides are still talking up the possibility of acting on 11 spending bills individually. September is an even less appealing month to take individual bills to the floor, with debate over budget reconciliation, judicial nominations and other issues expected to take up floor time.

Some aides are already predicting a long fall session of spending negotiations, citing major differences on contentious measures such as the Labor-HHS spending bill. One scheduling commitment is that Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., plans to process all 12 Senate bills in committee, allowing Democrats a chance to debate and offer amendments. Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., last week praised Cochran's efforts in setting an aggressive schedule.

"Move over, John Wayne, move over. We are going. We are moving," Byrd said before the panel's approval of the Homeland Security and Energy and Water bills, noting that eight bills will be approved before the July Fourth recess. But Byrd said Senate GOP leaders should make spending bills the top legislative priority. "If the leadership will get us the floor time -- that is what they ought to do. Mr. Chairman, you tell them we said so," he told Cochran.

Frist is clearly dedicated to passing of the $30.9 billion fiscal 2006 Homeland Security measure this month, touting the measure's emphasis on border security in a statement last week.

"This spending bill acknowledges the hard reality that we must regain control of the gateways in and out of our nation, and reflects Congress' willingness to get serious about securing our borders," Frist said, adding he expects swift passage.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., also praised the bill, which includes $4 million for a southern Nevada emergency response center that tracks shipments of hazardous waste. Frist also issued a statement in support of Tennessee water projects such as $10 million for the Chickamauga Lock and Dam in the Energy and Water measure. Reid loaded the bill with millions for Nevada water projects and energy research at state universities.