Senate leader threatens a weekend session to pass budget

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Monday predicted this week's budget debate will begin with a late night, punctuated by some procedural votes Democrats will insist upon. While Lott indicated he is prepared to keep the Senate in session through the weekend or even into next week to get the fiscal 2002 budget plan passed, he made it clear the Senate will not leave for the spring recess until the plan is approved. "In this softening economy, I think it would be irresponsible of us to delay in going forward with the budget resolution," Lott told reporters. As for whether Republicans have the votes to pass their budget--given the expected "no" vote from Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., and several other GOP moderates still sitting on the fence--Lott said, "You never really have the votes until you have the vote." Lott said he hoped reluctant Republicans, as well as conservative Democrats such as Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, would "keep their options open" through the amendment process before deciding on their final vote. Lott appeared willing to heed his own counsel, at least when it comes to the amendment Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, plans to offer to increase agriculture spending in Budget Chairman Pete Domenici's, R-N.M., proposed budget. Lott said, "I'm willing to look at a higher number than what the chairman [of the Budget Committee] has suggested." But on final passage, Lott said, "I think it is important that all Republicans give the President a chance... to get his [budget] priorities considered." Although Chafee has said he would vote against the budget resolution if it retains Bush's full $1.6 trillion tax cut, he does plan to vote with the party on procedural votes. Debate will begin after the 5:30 p.m. final vote on the campaign finance reform bill, and will probably hit some procedural snags and some Democratic delaying tactics. Once the motion to proceed is adopted--and Lott said Vice President Cheney will be prepared to cast a tie-breaker Monday night and throughout the week--Domenici will lay down the House-passed budget resolution to open debate, then offer a skeleton budget resolution similar to President Bush's blueprint but without reconciliation instructions. Domenici is expected to offer an amendment to add reconciliation instructions for the tax cut to his budget plan later in the week. One vote Republicans appear to have secured is that of Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, the only Democrat who has publicly endorsed Bush's tax cut. On Friday Miller said: "It should come as no surprise to anyone that my ultimate goal is to see President Bush's tax cut adopted. Along the way, there will be many steps, bills, motions, amendments and obstacles. Whatever they are and from whomever they come, my vote on each will always be with this goal in mind: to get to the final passage of the Bush tax cut as quickly as possible."