Congress will have to pass a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating while Congress finishes its appropriations work, House Majority Leader Armey conceded today, warning that fights ranging from census sampling to a congressional pay raise loom ahead.
"I expect a CR for some period of time," Armey said, although he said he is not sure how long it should last. House Appropriations Chairman Livingston and ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., have said Congress should pass a CR lasting until Oct. 9 to allow appropriators to finish their work. Armey said he believes passage of a CR would be "routine" and one would move without incident.
However, discussing remaining appropriations bills, Armey warned that "some of these bills are going to have problems."
One of the thorniest issues, included in the Treasury-Postal bill, is likely to be a proposed congressional cost of living increase. Armey seemed to outline one scenario, although an aide later warned that no decisions had been made and other House sources indicated that Armey's prediction could doom a rule in the House.
Armey said he expected the Rules Committee to send the Treasury- Postal bill to the floor with an open rule. That rule would not provide protection for an amendment eliminating the cost of living increase - meaning anyone could raise a point of order against the amendment because it was legislating on an appropriations bill. Such a plan could provoke a floor fight, although other sources said they do not believe a rule that did not specifically allow for the pay raise to be struck could pass the House.
An Armey aide later said no decisions had been made on the pay raise and that "there are lots of options."
Armey also made it clear that House Republicans remain adamant about including language on the Commerce-Justice-State bill that would prohibit sampling as part of the 2000 census, saying GOP leaders want a total count, not sampling.
NEXT STORY: FDA Reform Deal Elusive