TOPICS
TOPICS
Senator holds out hope for finishing spending bills
Despite a pre-emptive veto threat from the White House and signs that Democratic leaders are resigned to a continuing resolution until possibly next year, Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., urged Senate leaders to schedule votes for the 12 annual spending bills.
"I have urged the bipartisan leadership to make time on the floor for consideration of our appropriations bills," Byrd said before the full committee approved the Transportation-HUD, Energy and Water, and Financial Services appropriations bills.
The panel has now approved six of the 12 appropriations bills, including the Commerce-Justice-Science, Homeland Security and Labor-HHS measures passed last month.
"Unfortunately, President Bush's veto threats have discouraged some from wanting to get important funding legislation on the Senate floor," Byrd said. "We are a separate branch and we hold the power over the purse. This senator will continue to urge that we complete our work."
Earlier this year Bush said he would veto any appropriations bill that exceeds recommendations in his fiscal 2009 budget proposal.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said earlier Thursday that the Senate could finish work on two of the 12 annual appropriations bills before Congress passes a continuing resolution that would likely fund the federal government until a new president and Congress takes over next year.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has also indicated that the House will not likely finish work on all the appropriations bills.
House leaders hope to wrap up for the year by Sept. 26, according to an aide.
Despite Reid's prediction, he conceded that the Senate Appropriations Committee would likely finish considering all the spending bills. Byrd said he and Appropriations ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., intend to complete committee consideration of the fiscal 2009 bills by the end of the month.
Byrd also said he has scheduled for July 22 a full committee markup of a second supplemental spending package.
"The thrust of this legislation will be to provide critical infrastructure funding and to respond to national disasters such as the California wildfires, the Midwest floods and Hurricane Katrina," Byrd said.
Lawmakers are also increasingly looking to the package to fund their spending priorities as prospects for completion of the 12 annual spending bills dims.
Byrd also said that the full committee will mark up the Interior, Defense, and Legislative Branch appropriations bill July 24.
COMMENTS
- Hurray for Sen. Byrd and the Appropriations Committee! Age has not hindered Senator Byrd's ability to get the job done. Such dedication! Great Job! A good Leader knows how to delegate. FY09 Budget will be delayed until March 2009? It’s unacceptable that Congress cannot pass a Budget before the fiscal year starts in October without going into a Continuing Resolution. I cannot believe the Presidential elections will delay the approval of the Budget. God help our Nation! The Budget may not be your Checkbook but you should be guarding it like your own and quit the “tit for tat” between the political parties. You were voted into your position for the betterment of the United States and this should be foremost in your mind on all issues. The NSPS (Pay for Performance) has been shoved down Civilians throat and should apply to Congress also (this is not a situation of “do as I say; not as I do”). American Taxpayer Posted July 17, 2008 8:56 AM
- The comments of Senate leaders above [or their Budget Committee surrogate/staffs] and the entire GovExOnline article is a good example of a non-news/news story - akin to say, the "news" of wildfires in California each summer, or the "news" of defense weapon systems "overruns", or reports on the annual "return" of the swallows to Capistrano. It is a lock on bet that Congress will NOT complete all the funding bills by fiscal end year, that another continuing resolution will be passed, then reauthorized 3 to 4 times unto a final date after installation of the new President-- of course all the Dod budget/dollars will pass, but very few of the domestic agencies. Since, I as a routine reader, I'd guess most/all other readers and surely the entire GovEx news staff know this -- why not include a bit of "commentary" - labeled as such--within the posting or hyperlinked -- on the tactical objectives of the "delay" -- I mean, the intentions, goals and gains of key players in Senate, House, White House, lobby and interest groups in NOT passing the budget "on time." Correct my numbers, but aren't we in the 15th or is it 17th fiscal year of consecutively "late" fiscal year budgets, and isn't "delay" now the norm, in short no longer new or "news." Whatever, there is a charming artificiality to "reports" on the annual struggles of Senate and House bigwigs to pass all 13 budget bills on time. In the future, please add some Washington insight/commentary, it will be genuine value added and a refreshing counter point to all those puffy new releases from Budget Committee staff. Concerned Retiree Posted July 14, 2008 3:59 PM
- Senator Byrd has done soooooo much for WV and he is still sharp as a tack - HE makes all decisions and HE makes sure that WV gets it's fair share. I don't know what we will do without him and just because he is 90 doesn't mean he should leave office - like the other poster said - he does more than most young people. Melissa STalnaker Posted July 14, 2008 3:48 PM
