Senate looks to clear two spending measures this week

With less than two weeks left before the start of the August recess, the Senate on Monday began consideration of the fiscal 2010 $34.3 billion Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which Democratic leaders intend to clear before moving this week to the fiscal 2010 $23.7 billion Agriculture Appropriations bill.

"Over the next two weeks, we are going to complete at least two appropriations bills that invest in our nation, and support programs that will help our economy grow," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on Monday.

The spending measures would be the third and fourth to come to the Senate floor this year. Action comes after Democratic leaders recently decided to resume work on appropriations after putting off consideration of healthcare legislation.

Reid said votes on amendments to the Energy and Water bill are expected on Tuesday before the weekly party lunches.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has introduced more than 20 amendments that seek to strike member-directed earmarks, including $33.7 million [corrected from printed edition] requested by Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan and Sen. Kent Conrad, both D-N.D., for the Garrison Diversion, a rural North Dakota water project.

During floor debate on Monday, Dorgan said the bill amounts to 1.8 percent less than the level requested in President Obama's budget and is 1.4 percent over the fiscal 2009 Energy and Water bill.

"That means that there is a very modest increase for the programs in this legislation," Dorgan said, saying he was "working with limited resources [and] at a time when we have relatively difficult circumstances to try to deal with the federal budget deficits and other issues."

Dorgan said that, as is typical with the Energy and Water measure, the bill includes a large number of member-directed earmarks. "I think members of Congress have a much better idea of what are the water needs and water issues and which project will benefit their states and state's commerce," rather than the executive branch, Dorgan said.

Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said the bill "is a truly bipartisan effort aimed at trying to solve the problems that we face. And one demonstration of the fact is that we have in a bipartisan fashion come in with a number significantly below that which the president requested."

The White House came out on Monday in favor of the bill.

"The legislation makes long-overdue commitments to improve infrastructure, focusing on high-return investments and the reliable operation of those facilities that are of central importance to the nation," OMB said in a Statement of Administration Policy.

However, OMB raised concerns about certain provisions, saying it strongly opposes reductions in funding for Energy Innovation Hubs, and the science and engineering education outreach campaign RE-ENERGYSE program, among other concerns.

"The Hubs will advance highly promising areas of energy science and technology from their early states and RE-ENERGYSE will help develop the science and engineering workforce needed to bring those ideas to life by encouraging tens of thousands of American students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and entrepreneurship related to clean energy," OMB said.

Under the bill, the Energy Department would receive $27.4 billion, the Army Corps of Engineers would receive $5.4 billion and the Interior Department $1.1 billion.