Senate budget chief shifts focus from impeachment

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is attempting to swing the capital's focus at least partially away from impeachment with an extensive schedule of hearings and with a new proposal on budget process reform.

Domenici Tuesday introduced a comprehensive budget process reform bill, the Budget Enforcement Act of 1999, along with separate legislation to convert the annual budget and appropriations cycle to a biennial process.

Also Tuesday, the Budget Committee held a hearing on Social Security, and Wednesday the panel held a session on tax policy.

The Senate GOP leadership also is taking steps to open the floor to debate over something other than impeachment.

A Senate Republican source said the leadership hopes to begin floor work on legislation as early as next week, although no schedule has been set.

The budget process changes Domenici proposed call for a two- year budget and appropriations cycle, placing stricter controls on emergency supplemental spending, allowing for an on-budget surplus to offset the cost of tax cuts or increased entitlement spending, providing for an automatic continuing resolution if the new fiscal year starts without all appropriations bills passed into law, and streamlining the process for considering amendments to the budget resolution.

Domenici also has announced the following hearing schedule leading up to consideration of the fiscal 2000 budget resolution. (All hearings, unless otherwise noted, will be held in Room 608 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.)

On Jan. 25, the topic will be the defense budget; Jan. 27, budget process reform, at 9:30 a.m. in 106 Dirksen; Jan. 28, the committee will hear from Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan on the country's long-term fiscal outlook; Jan. 29, outgoing CBO Director O'Neill will testify on the CBO's latest economic and budget outlook; Feb. 2, 3, and 9, administration witnesses will discuss the president's fiscal 2000 budget proposal.