Lawmakers get back to work on fiscal 2010 budget blueprint

Congress returns this week from its spring recess to face tough negotiations on a final version of the budget resolution, the details of a multibillion dollar supplemental war request from the Obama administration, and tough committee-level deliberations on climate change policy.

The House and Senate passed their budget resolutions just before leaving. Budget Committee staffers' discussions are ongoing and conferees could be named by next week, according to a senior Democratic aide.

The most difficult issue will likely be whether to include reconciliation instructions, which the House included for healthcare and education legislation. The Senate version does not include reconciliation.

"It's not a problem you can split the difference on," said Jim Horney, who served as deputy Democratic staff director for the Senate Budget Committee from 2001 through 2004 and is now director of federal fiscal policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "I think there will be discussions that will involve the conferees, the leadership and the White House," he added.

Congressional Democratic leaders and the White House have called for keeping reconciliation as an option, which they can use to get Republicans to the negotiating table or proceed without their support, as passage only requires majority support.

Democrats' use of reconciliation will likely depend on the level of support Senate Democrats would provide. During Senate debate, many Democrats supported Republican amendments, including a proposal, passed 67-31, to prohibit the use of reconciliation for a carbon emission cap-and-trade bill.

"You really need to know where the votes are before you finalize it, because you certainly do not want to not to be able to pass a conference report" for the resolution, said Rich Meade, House Budget Committee chief of staff when former Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, ran the panel. "I don't think failure is an option," said Meade, who is now a managing director with BSKH & Associates.

Meanwhile, lawmakers this week will be digesting the Obama administration's $83.4 billion war supplemental request in anticipation of quick consideration of the spending proposal.

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., has said he expects House appropriators to mark up the bill April 30, with floor consideration expected around May 5. If the Senate adopts a similar schedule, the two chambers will likely have adequate time to resolve differences and send a final bill to the White House by the Memorial Day recess.

The military has said it needs the funding, which totals $75.8 billion, by the end of May to continue funding its war-related operations. The request includes more than $7 billion for the State Department and foreign aid, including $3.7 billion for assistance to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The administration sent the request to Capitol Hill on April 9.