House to take up stopgap spending bill

House Democratic leaders intend to take up stopgap legislation Wednesday to keep federal programs going beyond Sept. 30 and prevent government workers from being furloughed.

The continuing resolution is expected to run through the end of October, according to Democratic sources.

The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider legislation Tuesday so floor action can start Wednesday. The additional month will give lawmakers time to finish work on the 12 annual appropriations bills. The Senate is expected to take up the continuing resolution before month's end.

The House has finished work on all 12 spending measures, but the Senate has completed five. Conference talks between the House and Senate versions of the bills could also begin this week.

The Senate is working on a $32.1 billion, fiscal 2010 Interior-Environment Appropriations measure. Senate Democratic leaders hope to finish the measure as quickly as possible to move to the $636 billion Defense Appropriations bill.

Roll-call votes on amendments to the Interior measure are expected Tuesday, possibly before the weekly party lunches.

More than 20 amendments have been filed, including one from Sen. David Vitter, R-La., to prohibit funds from being used to carry out directives by the White House climate change coordinator. Other amendments include 16 from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., mostly seeking to strip earmarks.

Among McCain's targets are $1.2 million for rat eradication on the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, sought by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; $1.2 million for Plattsmouth, Neb., to help manage excess sewer flows, requested by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and $750,000 for a National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia sought by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.

Meanwhile, the House Wednesday is scheduled to consider a three-month extension of the law authorizing Federal Aviation Administration programs and an extension for three months of the law governing surface transportation programs, according to a House Democratic leadership aide.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., is working on a three-month extension for both. Although the FAA bill extension is not expected to face difficulties in the Senate, the Senate and White House want an 18-month extension for the highway and transit bill.

Darren Goode contributed to this report.