Senate nixes bid to keep agency funding at 2008 levels

The Senate on Tuesday rejected an amendment that would have scrapped an omnibus fiscal 2009 appropriations bill and frozen funding for most government programs at current levels, but individual projects in the omnibus are under attack as senators prepare to vote on a series of amendments to cut the measure's cost.

The Senate voted 63-32 to reject the amendment, offered by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to extend through fiscal 2009 a stopgap continuing resolution that would fund most federal programs at fiscal 2008 levels.

It would have functioned as a substitute for the $410 billion omnibus fiscal 2009 appropriations bill, which increases federal funding by about 8 percent.

McCain and other Republicans said the omnibus is wasteful because the recently passed $788 billion economic stimulus package includes funds for many of the same programs. The easy defeat of the amendment signals Democrats will likely have little trouble passing the omnibus this week.

Nine Republicans, eight of them appropriators, voted against the amendment. Republicans are pushing amendments that could strip earmarks from the bill and force Democrats into tough votes.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., plans to offer four amendments to reduce the bill's cost. One would eliminate $26 million in earmarks for clients of the PMA Group, which the FBI is investigating for allegedly steering political contributions to lawmakers through fictitious donors. Another Coburn amendment would eliminate $10 million in wasteful-sounding projects such as "$200,000 ... for tattoo removal in Mission Hills, Calif."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who wants a final vote on the omnibus Thursday to give the House one day to vote on any Senate changes, has pledged to allow GOP amendments but said some would be difficult for Democrats. Coburn's amendments are "very difficult," Reid said. "I'd like to avoid them, but I don't see any reason to do that." Coburn said he expected his amendments will be defeated.

Other parts of the bill that might be changed by the Senate are provisions that loosen restrictions on travel to Cuba and reverse impediments on the sales of food and medicine to that nation.

On Monday, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., raised concerns about the proposed Cuba policy changes, and the senator has reportedly held up two presidential nominees to gain leverage on the issue. Reid said he would work with Menendez to improve the bill. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and David Vitter, R-La., have offered abortion-related amendments.

The omnibus includes the nine fiscal 2009 appropriations bills Congress has not approved. The continuing resolution covering those bills expires Friday. The House passed its version of the omnibus last week.