House votes to keep agencies open another week as budget talks continue

The House this afternoon approved, 385-27, a one-week continuing resolution funding government operations until next Friday, while House and Senate leaders continue negotiations with the White House on a massive omnibus package to wrap up the year. The Bush administration is withholding its endorsement of the measure until details become available, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said could be over the weekend. But top Democrats were hopeful a deal could be struck.

"There are numerous meetings going on all this week, between the Hill and other locuses of influence and power throughout the city, and I hope that those will come to fruition sometime soon," House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wisc., said. "We have, I think, we have a reasonable prospect of finishing our work for the year come the middle of next week ... I am now slightly more optimistic than I was initially."

Obey met with Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., today to discuss the omnibus spending bill, which in a major concession to President Bush will be cut down to nearly his overall $932.8 billion spending target. The lone exception is an added $3.7 billion for veterans programs, which enjoys near-unanimous support in both chambers. When asked if she thought it would be acceptable to Bush, Pelosi replied, "Oh, yes."

Additional "emergency funds" that do not count against budget caps are being added as well, such as for border security, drought relief and wildfire suppression. Reid would not comment on the negotiations, referring to news stories last week suggesting the outlines of a deal that the White House quickly disavowed.

"As you know, a week ago tomorrow there was a little too much public negotiation and it hasn't helped us arrive where we need to be. I am not going to get into any details," Reid said.

Conservatives are warily eyeing the prospect of other funding being designated as "contingent emergency" spending, such as Section 8 low-income housing funds, which would require Bush to agree to release the money. That is a gimmick that has been used often, including by the GOP Congress two years ago for veterans' spending. Another mechanism conservatives oppose is "advance appropriations" for the next fiscal year, including $2 billion for education and other purposes in the Labor-HHS spending bill. House Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., admonished Obey to avoid "any controversial policy riders, gimmicks or consequential budgetary sleights of hand," which he said could lead to a veto.

Funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will likely be included as well, although how much is still in doubt. Republicans want to add at least $70 billion; Pelosi and House leaders would probably not bring a bill to the floor at that amount, leaving it to the Senate to add the money. When asked if she was disappointed at not being able to do more to put conditions on the war, Pelosi made a surprising charge.

"[Republicans] like this war. They want this war to continue. That was a revelation to me. I had thought they would listen to their constituents and change their position," Pelosi said. "Republicans have made very clear this is not just George Bush's war, this is the war of Republicans in Congress."

She quickly backtracked though, adding that Republicans don't "like" the war, but they "support the war and the course of action the president is on."