Congress tries to keep up the pace on spending bills

Members of Congress hope the momentum gained on fiscal 2001 appropriations bills last week means that the remaining spending bills can be wrapped up before the current continuing resolution keeping the government open expires at midnight Saturday. One more short-term CR could become necessary.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, sounded an optimistic note Tuesday, telling reporters "everything is just about an inch from closure."

To date, the FY2001 Defense appropriations bill and Military Construction spending bill have been signed into law. Congress has also passed the Interior, Energy and Water and Transportation bills-with the President expected to sign the Interior and Transportation measures and to veto the Energy and Water bill over language designed to prevent the administration from finalizing a more environmentally friendly water level management plan for the Missouri River.

Among the remaining bills, the Senate should be able to reconsider and adopt the combined Treasury-Postal/Legislative Branch conference report now that Congress has passed the Transportation spending bill, which also added $348 million to IRS and counterterrorism accounts in Treasury-Postal in answer to administration complaints.

Armey said Tuesday the Senate was poised to take up the compromise VA-HUD spending bill, although it was unclear whether Senate Democrats were prepared to agree to limits on debate time and the number of amendments they could offer.

The Agriculture appropriations conference report is scheduled for a House vote Wednesday, while Armey said negotiations on the Labor-HHS appropriations measure are "very close."

The Labor-HHS spending bill likely will carry legislation to restore some of the cuts to Medicare providers enacted by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act-but, aside from any other small measures, it is slated to move as a stand-alone conference report, Armey said. He offered no progress report on the Commerce-Justice-State, District of Columbia or Foreign Operations spending negotiations.

The GOP-controlled Congress will attempt to override President Clinton's veto Saturday of the fiscal year 2001 Energy and Water Appropriations bill this week, sources said Tuesday.