TOPICS
TOPICS
Senate leader predicts continuing resolution heading into 2009
The Senate could finish work on two of the 12 annual appropriations bills before Congress passes a continuing resolution that could fund the federal government until a new president takes over next year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday.
"I don't think we are going to have a lot of bills on the Senate floor this work period," Reid told reporters. "I hope we can get a couple of them done. One would be the Defense [appropriations] bill ... the other would be the Military Construction appropriations bill."
Reid also said he does not expect Congress to come back for a lame-duck session after the November election to deal with the remaining appropriations bills or other unfinished issues.
"I would hope that before we leave here this year we would do a continuing resolution until after [Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.] becomes president," said Reid.
Even though a continuing resolution is likely, the Senate Appropriations Committee will likely finish marking up all of the 12 bills, Reid said.
By contrast, House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., has said he does not plan to finish work on the bills. His position stems from a plan hatched by Republicans at a markup last month to offer the Interior appropriations bill as an amendment to the Labor-HHS bill. The move was an effort to try to force a vote on repealing a restriction on offshore oil drilling. As prospects for completion of the appropriations process dim, talk of a second emergency supplemental spending bill have intensified. Lawmakers are increasingly looking to the package to make sure their spending priorities are addressed instead of going through the appropriations bills.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.V., Thursday announced that he intends to mark up the supplemental July 22. Byrd's announcement came after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., requested Wednesday that Byrd include $910 million in the package for fire fighting, prevention and rehabilitation.
COMMENTS
- Food for Thought. WAKE UP AMERICA! The OPEC minister will look you in the eyes and state: You are so arrogant you have not recognized we are at war with you and have been since the embargo in the 1970s. You have more missiles, bombs, and technology; so we are fighting with the best weapon we have by extracting about $700 billion yearly from your economy. Thank you, America: (1) For allowing us to accumulating shares in your banks, real estate, & publicly held companies. We also finance a good portion of your debt; manipulate your markets, currency, and economies to our benefit. (2) For limiting drilling in Alaska, off your coasts, or anywhere there's a bug, bird, fish, or plant which might be inconvenienced; instead let the people suffer! Our lobbying efforts have been effective. (3) For not developing the 250-300 year supply of your oil shale and tar sands which would create millions of jobs for US citizens, expand your engineering capabilities, and keep the wealth in the US instead of spending it to finance our war against you. (4) For over regulating every segment of your economy and thus delaying, by decades, the development of alternate fuel technologies. For limiting the Defense Department purchases of oil sands from your neighbors to the north. We love it when you confuse your allies. (5) Corn-based Ethanol: we never would have thought of this sham program! This is better than when you pay your farmers NOT TO GROW FOOD. Thank you ,US Congress, perhaps you will destroy yourself from the inside with these types of policies. (6) Finally, thank you for allowing us to nominate one of our own for President of the United States! We have donated millions to the election fund of Barack Obama: a man who is anti-American, anti-military, anti-Christian, and anti-white. Obama will be the ideal President for us, and we will donate billions more, if necessary to get him elected. I believe the next election will prove me right, and soon I will be telling you what you can and cannot do. After we take over your country, I will read this warning again—this time on your national television. Concerned Citizen Posted July 16, 2008 2:15 PM
- "I would hope that before we leave here this year we would do a continuing resolution until after [Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.] becomes president," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Foregone conclusion or Power of Suggestion? The race isn’t over yet! America needs experience and maturity & Obama has neither. To Sen Reid: Instead of putting the Budget on the back burner; do the job you were elected to do and get a Budget passed before the beginning of the FY09 in October 2008! And the Civilian workforce is being measured by the Pay for Performance NSPS? Obama has many people fooled with NO military training and only 3 years on Capitol Hill. Would you want a Brain Surgeon with so little experience? Not I! Obama is a member of Rev Wright’s church and cannot claim he never heard the sermons of prejudice until recently. SCARY, does Rev Wright or Obama equate to 666? Even on the worst day McCain has 22 years of military service (including Vietnam) and 16 years experience in the House to make mature decisions for our nation. Obama highlighted in a speech the failure of Washington & Wall Street to address economic ills affecting blacks such as lack of affordable health care, inadequate public schools & income inequality. "We've got to demand more responsibility from Washington. We've got to push aside those special interests & let the voices of the American people ring out," Obama said. We've got to demand more responsibility from Wall Street." THIS STATEMENT SENDS UP A RED FLAG! Don’t the black students attend the same schools as the white students? Do ALL Americans have affordable health care? Do ALL Americans have income equality? What about the Native Americans’ LACK of affordable health care, inadequate public schools, and income inequality? Do the white government workers have an organization such as Blacks In Government (BIG)? Need I say more? American Taxpayer Posted July 16, 2008 12:19 PM
- Butch said it best. Let's clean House (and Senate) and get responsible individuals in there who will do the job they're elected to do. Larry Posted July 14, 2008 1:22 PM
