Spending bill progress grinds to a halt in both houses

Progress on fiscal 2002 appropriations bills ground to a halt on both sides of the Capitol Wednesday, as a controversial contraception amendment kept the Labor-HHS spending bill off the House floor, while the ongoing Senate showdown over Bush administration nominees continued to stall appropriations action in that chamber.

The hangup over the previously smooth-moving Labor-HHS appropriations bill came when Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Pa., reminded leaders she had been promised a chance to offer an amendment to ban funding of school-based health clinics that distribute "morning-after" pills to students.

Hart had wanted to offer the amendment to the education bill earlier this year. Leaders persuaded her not to, with the promise that she could instead try on the Labor-HHS spending bill.

But that appeared problematic on two counts: It would anger those like Rep. David Vitter, R-La., who were dissuaded from offering their own contentious Labor-HHS amendments, as well as Democrats, who agreed to fast track the bill only if no contentious amendments were allowed.

Although the matter had not been settled as of Wednesday afternoon, one GOP leadership aide said Hart would be allowed to offer her amendment. "She got a commitment," the aide said.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., is leading the GOP charge to keep appropriations bills off the floor until the Senate confirms more of President Bush's nominations, much to the chagrin of Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and the frustration of top Senate Democratic leaders.

On the floor Wednesday, Senate Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, both of whom also chair Appropriations subcommittees, lamented the Senate's slow pace in clearing FY02 bills. Dorgan condemned "people who professionally object to things" for blocking progress on appropriations bills.

Still awaiting Senate passage are the Agriculture and Foreign Operations spending bills, which were reported out of committee before the August recess; the committee still must mark up the Labor-HHS, Defense and District of Columbia appropriations bills. Progress has been equally slow on conference reports, although conferees are scheduled to meet this afternoon to finalize the FY02 Interior bill.

Meanwhile, Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, whose panel was scheduled to mark up its FY02 bill Wednesday afternoon, said $123 billion in discretionary budget authority--the final amount agreed to last week by the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees--is "not enough."

Harkin said more money would be needed, among other things, for Title I education funding and for Pell grants "because of the recession," but added that he envisioned the money could be provided as part of the stimulus package.

Alluding to the ongoing conference on the education reform bill, Harkin also said that his subcommittee could have access to as much as $6 billion more for FY02 if funding for special education is not made mandatory.

But Harkin added, "If nothing happens [or] changes between and later this week [with the education conference], we'll just have to mark up to $123 billion and do the best we can."