House extends continuing resolution to keep funds flowing

The House passed a continuing resolution by voice vote Wednesday in less than 10 minutes, funding the government at lower spending levels through Dec. 8, in the absence of 10 of the 12 fiscal 2007 appropriations bills.

The new fiscal year began Oct. 1 with only the Defense and Homeland Security spending bills cleared. The Senate Tuesday night passed its third appropriations bill, a $94.3 billion Military Construction bill, before turning Wednesday to a $98.3 billion Agriculture spending bill.

Few hurdles are expected to passage, although there could be debate over efforts by Budget ranking member Kent Conrad, D-N.D., to add an agriculture disaster aid package totaling roughly $4.5 billion.

There already is $4 billion in the farm bill; Conrad's amendment would replace the existing section and update it to cover additional crop and livestock losses suffered in the 2006 crop year. Funding of $21 million in the bill is for repairing damages in Hawaii suffered as a result of the Oct. 15 earthquake.

Other bills the Senate might turn to this week include the fiscal 2007 Legislative Branch and Energy and Water bills, although time is short and the chamber must clear the CR before week's end -- sooner rather than later. It must be flown for signing to President Bush, who leaves Wednesday for a trip to Asia.

The current CR expires Friday at midnight. There also could be a skirmish over a potential amendment by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., related to allowing the reimportation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.