CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS – APPROPRIATIONS
Oct. 18, 2011 – 8:42 p.m.
Senate’s Work on ‘Minibus’ Could Determine Final Fiscal 2012 Strategy
By Kerry Young, CQ Staff
Early progress on the first of several smaller fiscal 2012 spending packages in the Senate suggests Congress may be able to avoid a single catchall omnibus measure.
Still, with just two roll call votes so far on the dozens of amendments proposed to the package of three spending bills, it could be difficult to finish work on the measure this week, as Majority Leader
To wrap up the bill (
Without some GOP good will, Reid will be unable to close debate on the spending package, which combines the text of the Agriculture spending bill with those of the Commerce-Justice-Science (
Reid could file for cloture — which limits debate and amendments — as early as Wednesday, although the motion would require at least some Republican support to achieve the necessary 60-vote margin.
Republicans and Democrats in both chambers have said they would like to avoid an omnibus, but the Senate will need to show it can move a smaller spending package, often called a “minibus,” to begin to put those concerns to rest.
If the chamber can pass the minibus, it would set the stage for the Senate to take up another package of spending bills when it returns from its planned late-October recess, said
“I hope we could consider a hell of a lot more of them, so we couldn’t be stuck with an omnibus, which would have great trouble passing,” said
Budget hawk
Time Running Short
However lawmakers choose to proceed, they only have a few weeks to make up their minds. A continuing resolution (PL 112-36) is keeping the government running through Nov. 18, and some members have talked about needing another stopgap to avoid a shutdown.
The recent standoffs over shutting down the government have harmed the nation’s economy and its citizens’ faith in lawmakers, Bingaman said.
Senate’s Work on ‘Minibus’ Could Determine Final Fiscal 2012 Strategy
“These repeated ‘Perils of Pauline’ scenarios have understandably shaken the confidence of Americans about their government and, more particularly, about this Congress,” Bingaman said. He said later in the day that no one had contacted him about his proposal, particularly as appropriators and leaders continue working behind the scenes to wrap up fiscal 2012 spending measures.
Reed said he had a “very good meeting” last week with his House appropriations counterpart, Republican
Their measure is considered one of the most contentious of the fiscal 2012 bills because of policy provisions in the House version that would weaken environmental regulations.
“We agree on a lot of things, and we disagree on a lot of things,” Reed said, adding that the two had steered clear of in-depth talks on the policy riders in the House bill. The final call on some of these provisions likely will not be theirs to make, Reed said.
“We recognized that there will be an interest by our leadership in these riders,” as well as input from the White House, he said.