House to consider catch-all spending bill next week

The House next week will take up an omnibus spending measure wrapping together the nine unpassed fiscal 2009 appropriations bills, with the Senate expected to follow a week later.

Congress must either pass the omnibus or approve another continuing resolution to keep funding programs at fiscal 2008 levels. The current CR expires March 6.

Republicans, who fought in vain to delay the economic stimulus package until they had time to read the massive bill, are trying the same gambit this time with the spending bill by calling on Democratic leaders to post the bill online immediately.

"My colleagues in the Republican leadership and I made this request two weeks ago, and to date, our request has gone unanswered," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "Time is running short, and American taxpayers deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars will be used under this legislation."

The Senate, moving faster than expected, is set to take up a bill next week that would give the District of Columbia a voting member of the House. The bill would also give Utah a fourth House seat, expanding the House to 437 voting members. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the measure last week. Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., initially said he needed to assess support for the bill before scheduling a floor vote.

But after passage of the economic stimulus bill late Friday, Reid said chamber will start debating the D.C. bill Monday and would vote Tuesday to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to final passage. The Senate fell three votes short of ending debate on the measure last year, but a Reid spokeswoman this week said that "with more Democrats he is cautiously optimistic that we will have the votes to pass the bill."

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and George Voinovich of Ohio voted for the measure in committee, suggesting 60 votes are available to end debate on the bill. The bill benefited from the decision of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., decision to move it out of committee quickly. Reid's spokeswoman noted the measure will be on the floor in part because "it is one of the few bills already reported by committee."

The Senate is also set to vote Tuesday to end debate on the nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., as Labor secretary. Republicans slowed Solis' confirmation amid concerns about her support for a bill to make union organization easier. The Senate could also confirm several Judiciary Committee nominees if they win committee approval in a Thursday vote.

After dealing with the omnibus, House Democratic leaders plan a fairly ambitious legislative push before the spring break. The D.C. vote bill and the fiscal 2010 budget will be priorities. Another possibility is energy legislation, with climate change and renewable energy mandates among the big ticket items that might be moved.

Housing legislation from Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., might also move before the next recess. Discussions about how to proceed on both the energy and housing fronts continue, so action on either or both could be delayed.

Humberto Sanchez contributed to this report.