House Democrats may prepare omnibus bill for January
Goal is to have the nine remaining fiscal 2009 bills ready for Obama to sign shortly after he is inaugurated.
House Democratic leaders hope to tee up in the next six weeks an omnibus package consisting of the nine remaining fiscal 2009 appropriations bills so President-elect Obama can sign the legislation into law shortly after he is inaugurated, senior Democratic aides said Tuesday. The plan, also heard in lobbying circles, would require the new Congress to come into session before the Jan. 20 inauguration to approve the package.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., made reference to work remaining for the rest of this year Tuesday.
"We're going to be here in December, not necessarily in session," Hoyer said at the National Press Club. "The year has not ended."
He added that keeping the House in recess will allow lawmakers to receive reorganization plans from automakers in exchange for $25 billion in loans or take other action to deal with the economic downturn.
Aides said it remains unclear whether the Senate would go along and allow the package to come to the floor. Federal government programs are being funded through a continuing resolution Congress approved in late September that expires March 6. Democrats opted to fund the government through a CR after President Bush said that he would veto any appropriations bills topping the levels recommended in his fiscal 2009 budget.
During debate on the CR Sept. 25, House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., said Bush sought to cut $14 billion from domestic programs, including research funding at the National Institutes of Health and low-income aid for home heating. Rather than capitulate, said Obey, "we would kick the can down the road ... so that if we have a president that will negotiate" some of that funding could be preserved.
The CR, which included three fiscal 2009 spending bills -- Defense, Military Construction-VA and Homeland Security -- funds most programs at fiscal 2008 levels. Along with three spending measures, the CR includes up to $22.9 billion in disaster relief funding; $2.5 billion for the Pell Grant program; and $5.1 billion in low-income heating assistance. The $25 billion loan program for the auto industry is part of the CR, costing $7.5 billion for the fiscal year.
Christian Bourge contributed to this report.