Government Executive - Authors - Mark Wegner

Davis formally announces he will not run for Senate

Mark Wegner — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Davis is the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He declined to say whether he would seek re-election to his Northern Virginia house seat, but hinted his political career was not over.

"The rumors of my demise are a bit exaggerated," Davis said at a breakfast briefing with reporters. Davis' political future has been in flux since the GOP's state central committee decided earlier this month to hold a convention rather than a primary to select the GOP nominee for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. John Warner.

That decision was seen as a boost for his chief potential rival for the nomination, former Gov. Jim Gilmore. Davis said he has poured a lot of energy into his 2006 campaign and the state Senate re-election campaign of his wife, state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, who faces a strong Democratic challenger.

"I've had two exhausting years on the campaign trail," Davis said.

Davis said the party should be working to expand the base with a primary rather than courting the GOP base. He added that he and former Gov. Mark Warner, the presumptive Democratic nominee, both draw from the same donor base, making it more difficult for him to raise money.

Davis said that any Republican nominee will have to run against the tide of Virginia's changing demographics, which have favored Democrats in recent elections. "It makes it just a very difficult race," Davis said.

Gilmore, who is expected to enter the Senate race, has said he will not declare his Senate intentions until after the Nov. 6 state legislative elections and has not ruled out a 2009 gubernatorial run. Asked whether he would support Gilmore's senatorial campaign, Davis said, "I'll support the nominee of the party."

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Agriculture secretary weighs bid for Senate seat

Mark Wegner — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Two Nebraska Republican sources close to Johanns said he plans to make his resignation formal in the coming days, and one source with firsthand knowledge of the decision said Johanns has shared his plans with President Bush. Another Johanns adviser told CongressDaily a resignation is expected soon and will be followed by a Senate candidacy announcement.

"It's not official yet, but it is looking that way," the adviser said. "It's the direction he is headed."

Terri Teuber, a longtime Johanns spokeswoman, declined to comment on the reports, but she did signal Johanns would reveal his plans soon.

"Secretary Johanns understands that this is a decision he needs to make in the immediate future and he intends to do so," she said. Johanns, elected twice as governor, resigned that post to join Bush's Cabinet in January 2005.

Former state Republican Party Chairman David Kramer, who has talked up a Johanns candidacy in recent weeks, said the former governor would give Republicans the best chance to hold onto the seat, particularly as former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey considers the race.

Kramer acknowledged state Attorney General Jon Bruning and former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, both declared candidates, would be "strong competition" in the GOP primary. "But I believe based on the breadth of his experience ... that [Johanns] is by far the best candidate to serve in the Senate and the best person to put on the ballot," he said.

Kramer also noted that however dominant Republicans are in the state, Democrats have won nine of the last 11 Senate contests.

Daub, who launched his Senate bid Monday, said in a telephone interview this afternoon that his team has already drawn up plans to compete in a multiple-candidate GOP primary.

"We're well organized. We're going to be well financed. We've got a great grassroots campaign," Daub said.

Bruning campaign manager Jordan McGrain said Johanns will have to defend himself on issues such as his support for Bush's controversial immigration proposals. "He's not the Goliath that's going to walk in here and walk away with the hearts and minds of Republican primary voters," McGrain said.

Fleshing out a likely campaign theme against Johanns, Democrats on Wednesday said Johanns -- from local offices to governor to Cabinet secretary -- has a history of resigning public office to pursue the next job.

"I thought he wanted to come here and finish the farm bill," Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said this afternoon. "The farm bill isn't done."

Despite the criticism, Republicans have succeeded in recruiting their best-known candidate, shifting the focus to Kerrey. Paul Johnson, a top former Kerrey aide, said Kerrey would not let Johanns' likely candidacy affect his own decision or timing.

"First of all, you're going to face someone, whether it's Johanns or Bruning or Daub," Johnson said. "I don't think it matters."

Democrats on Wednesday said Kerrey's family, including his 6-year-old son, are among the considerations Kerrey is weighing. Since leaving the Senate in 2001, Kerrey has been president of the New School University in New York City.

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Lawmaker vows to fight criticism over Walter Reed role

Mark Wegner — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Young, who has not said whether he would seek another term, did not specifically announce his plans, but in an interview with CongressDaily, he suggested he would not back down from the fight.

"I have given some serious thought to retiring at the end of this term. I do not run away from political threats," Young said. "If the national Democrats think that this smear attack, based on this big lie, will get me to retire, they don't know me very well."

Asked if Democrats risk a backlash for publicizing the Walter Reed story in his district, Young responded, "I intend to start one. I am not without resources." Young, 76, said he would officially announce his plans during the candidate qualifying period in May 2008.

Democrats served notice Thursday they hope to make a serious run at Young's seat by blasting the veteran lawmaker for not using his clout as chairman and now ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to force changes in the care that injured soldiers receive on their return from Iraq and elsewhere.

Former Rep. Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, sent an e-mail to 150,000 party activists that Young's "silence on this issue is a moral outrage" and urged them to contribute to the party and write letters to the newspaper. "Most Americans would agree that our heroes should come before politics. It's simple human decency, and if our members of Congress don't understand that, they need to be fired," Thurman wrote.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week sent Southern regional political director Bret Wask to the district to meet with potential candidates. A Florida Democratic Party spokesman said Thurman acted out of personal outrage at the Walter Reed revelations, and noted that her former district has one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country.

Young said bloggers using incomplete news reports created the perception that he ignored cases of poor care for veterans. In a two-page letter to Thurman, sent Thursday, Young detailed the personal time he and his wife Beverly have spent with veterans. "You have changed the personal smear campaign that my family and I have endured for several weeks into a political smear campaign based on what has become the big lie," he wrote.

Democrats have fielded only light opposition to Young, who won a 19th term with 66 percent of the vote last year. Bush won the district in 2004 with 51 percent, and Pinellas County has trended Democratic.

"I think we have a shot regardless" of whether Young retires, a DCCC spokeswoman said. "You can look at the presidential numbers. It's a highly competitive district."

Democrats have approached former state Rep. Lars Hafner and former state House Speaker Peter Rudy Wallace about running. Other prospects include state Reps. Bill Heller and Rick Kriseman, state Sen. Charlie Justice and Bayfront Medical Center CEO Sue Brody.

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House, Senate look to wrap up 109th Congress next week

Mark Wegner and Greta Wodele — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

A spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said adjournment for the year depends on "completing all necessary work, with the goal of being done next week." Neither the House nor the Senate appear to have the appetite to finish outstanding appropriations measures this year, and both chambers have tentatively agreed to punt them to the new Democratic majority next year.

Both chambers are expected to pass a continuing resolution to keep the federal government running into next year, and sources reported it is likely to extend to Feb. 15. Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol are then expected to leave town, one week earlier than previously anticipated.

The House is expected to convene Tuesday morning with suspension votes scheduled later in the day. During the week, the House is expected to take up the CR and a tax extender package that is expected to include a provision to fend off a cut in Medicare physician payments. House leaders on Thursday also were considering bringing up an offshore energy production bill next week.

The Senate returns Monday to formally receive the nomination of Robert Gates to replace Rumsfeld. The Armed Services Committee is expected to begin hearings Tuesday and the Senate could vote on his nomination as early as the end of the week.

"The goal is to get him confirmed by week's end," a top aide to outgoing Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Thursday. If the Senate is unable to confirm Gates next week, Frist could call senators back for a brief session the following week.

On Tuesday, senators are expected to resume debate on the fiscal 2007 Agriculture spending measure under a previously agreed upon unanimous consent agreement. Other goals for the week include tax extenders as well as a conference report on a U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement and the U.S.-Vietnam trade deal.

"For many of these items, it will take more time to talk about all of them than it will take to act on them, but with a little bit of elbow grease and good will, the Senate can transact business on a wide swath of bills before it adjourns," said Frist's aide. Frist, who is retiring at the end of this year, is scheduled to deliver his farewell speech next week.

The outgoing majority leader announced Wednesday he would not run for president in 2008 and instead plans to return to practicing medicine.

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Dems, GOP squeeze last drops from campaign messages

Mark Wegner — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer of New York said Democrats, if they win the majority, would insist on a new Iraq policy. "Every vote cast tomorrow for a Democrat is a vote for a new, smarter Iraq policy," he said.

Contrary to public polls that show many races tightening, Schumer said DSCC polling shows Democratic candidates still leading in key states such as Rhode Island and Montana. "In our own individual polls, we don't see it all," he said. "We don't see any change or diminution."

While Republicans privately acknowledge that holding the House will be extremely difficult, Senate Republicans pointed to a slew of recent polls that give them optimism heading into Tuesday's election. "There are literally eight extremely competitive races around the country," a National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman said.

In addition to the widely acknowledged Senate battlegrounds of Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia, the NRSC spokesman said Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., remains more competitive than polls have suggested, and Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., has fought his way back into contention. He also said Republicans are still competitive in Democratic-held seats in Michigan, Maryland and New Jersey.

"The more they look at these races as a choice between two individuals is good for us," the NRSC spokesman said.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois has framed the 2006 elections as a national election. In a conference call Monday afternoon, he said voter anger over how Republicans have run the Iraq war is the central argument as to why Democrats should run the House.

"There is no doubt Iraq is a big piece of why people want change. It's evidence one," Emanuel said. "People want change and the Republicans are the status quo."

Democrats need to win 15 net seats to claim the House majority. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Thomas Reynolds of New York said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the election will be decided by "three-dozen" House races. "They're in the margin of error, and right now, the 72-hour efforts by the Republicans to turn their vote out will make the difference," Reynolds said.

One aide who traveled with Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to turnout rallies in five states this weekend said the RNC's "72-hour program" can turn close races for the GOP. "In races decided by 3 points or less the GOTV program makes a huge difference," he said, adding that GOP volunteers contacted 5.1 million voters over the weekend. That program will be tested in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania's 6th District.

Aides for GOP Rep. Jim Gerlach and Democrat Lois Murphy said this contest, a rematch of 2004, would be determined by the effectiveness of aggressive voter turnout drives each campaign waged this past weekend.

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Lieberman submits signatures for independent run

Mark Wegner — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400

A spokesman said Lieberman needs just 7,500 signatures to qualify for the ballot as an independent. Lieberman lost the Democratic primary by a 52-48 percent margin to former cable TV entrepreneur Ned Lamont, who assailed Lieberman for supporting President Bush's Iraq war policy.

"The senator is focused on talking to the voters of Connecticut ... and he is confident they will give him another six years," the spokesman said. He acknowledged some of Lieberman's former primary supporters would no longer stay with him in the general election.

"The senator knows a lot of people are in a tough position and [he] is not going to hold it against them," the spokesman said. "It's politics. It's what happens."

Democrat Diane Farrell, who is challenging Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., announced she is now backing Lamont. Farrell, who has campaigned vigorously against Shays and his support for the war, had endorsed Lieberman in the primary.

"I believe it is important to support the election process of our democracy, and I will support Ned Lamont as the Democratic candidate," she said.

Eli Pariser, the executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, called Lieberman's defeat a rejection of the Iraq war and "a revolt by voters who are tired of politicians who are defending the status quo."

Pariser called on Senate Democratic leaders to insist that Lieberman not run as an independent. "Make sure Joe Lieberman does the right thing and the honorable thing," he said. "They need to actively intervene, take Sen. Lieberman aside, thank him for his service and ask him to step aside."

Pariser said his group would make phone calls in Connecticut urging voters to ask Lieberman not to run.

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McCain, others say time is right for new earmark rules

Mark Wegner — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., appeared at a news conference with Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and others to unveil a bill that would modify Senate rules to allow senators to lodge a 60-vote point of order against unauthorized earmarks in appropriations bills.

"There are times when we have a political opportunity to do things," Ensign said. "Right now there is an opportunity to do things because of the scandals that are going on now." Ensign said reducing earmarks would lessen the pressure senators feel to vote for spending bills they might otherwise oppose, recounting some senators telling him, "I can't vote against the bill. I've got several projects in the bill."

The earmark bill has 10 cosponsors, including Democratic Sens. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin and Evan Bayh of Indiana.

McCain, who has introduced a broader lobby reform bill, said earmark restrictions would not undermine efforts to enact broader lobby reforms, "because the Abramoff thing is a long way from over."

The proposal would make it possible to challenge unauthorized earmarks -- as well as authorization language -- that is added to appropriations bills and conference reports. However, the proposed point of order would only affect appropriations bills, and not authorization bills, even though McCain said tax-writers and other authorizing committees have their own earmark practices.

"I think that's something that needs to be looked at, but we also have to do what is doable," McCain said.

The McCain proposal differs from one offered by Senate Rules Committee Chairman Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would allow a 60-vote point of order against any provision in an appropriations or authorization conference report that was not already in the House- or Senate-passed bill.

Earmark reformers are likely to face significant opposition from many Senate and House members, who rely on earmarks to direct federal funding to their home states and districts.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the GOP majority faces a potential backlash from voters over how Congress spends money, predicting Republicans would lose elections over spending. "We will reform the way we do business or we will lose," he said.

In the House Thursday, Democratic leaders sent a letter to Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, asking him to bring the Democrats' Honest Leadership and Open Government Act up for immediate consideration on the House floor, as well as a reform resolution on House procedures introduced by Democratic Reps. David Obey of Wisconsin, David Price of North Carolina, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts.

"Enactment of these reform measures would be a significant step toward lifting the serious ethical cloud left hanging over the House by your predecessor," they wrote, in reference to former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. Republicans were in Cambridge, Md., Thursday at their annual retreat.

"It's an obvious cheap shot timed to change the subject from the fact that House Republicans are gathering together to discuss an agenda the country cares about. The Democrats simply wouldn't understand that," said a spokesman for Boehner.

Susan Davis contributed to this report.

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House GOP leaders drop plans for across-the-board budget cuts

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The amendment is still expected to call for $50 billion in entitlement cuts, up from $35 billion in the original budget blueprint, and could be on the floor as early as Thursday.

But the disagreement over across-the-board cuts in discretionary programs illustrates the difficulty GOP leaders will have in rounding up votes, even for a largely symbolic measure. And a new coalition of left-leaning groups is already targeting GOP moderates in their own backyards to oppose the plan.

Across-the-board cuts might still be implemented during final spending negotiations. But there was internal disagreement Monday about what discretionary programs might be exempt from cuts.

For example, there are constituencies pushing exemptions for everything from defense to education, said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., a member of the GOP whip team.

There was also an argument, backed by House appropriators, that committing so soon to a specified across-the-board cut would hamper negotiations with the Senate on fiscal 2006 spending bills, said GOP Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio.

But scrapping the plan to go ahead with discretionary cuts might be controversial among party conservatives. "If we can't do that, we're in a deeper hole than we thought," said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a member of the influential Republican Study Committee, who declined to say how he would vote on a pared-down budget amendment.

Meanwhile, the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities this week plans a grassroots and public relations campaign aimed at 13 largely moderate House Republicans, which the group hopes might be moved to vote against the budget amendment.

"We think they are among the moderate Republicans who would blanch and would be uneasy at the cuts being called for in the resolution," campaign spokesman Brad Woodhouse said. "These are among what we believe are the most persuadable people to switch their vote, or the people we need to persuade to hold their vote to affect the outcome."

The 13 members are Reps. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., a gubernatorial contender in 2006, Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Michael Castle, R-Del., Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., Jim Leach, R-Iowa, Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., Fred Upton, R-Mich., Gerald Weller, R-Ill., and Heather Wilson, R-N.M.

The Senate has no plans to take up a similar budget amendment, and is embarking on the regularly scheduled reconciliation process beginning today. Senate Republicans are looking for additional budget cuts, however, and the White House is assembling a rescission package of its own.

In an interview Monday, Castle -- president of the Republican Main Street Partnership and a leader among House GOP moderates -- said increased entitlement cuts would be difficult to swallow.

"Those cuts will fall disproportionately on middle- to low-income people, something that will give moderates pause," Castle said, especially if the Senate does not act on a similar budget-cutting exercise. "The Senate is being irresponsible if they don't take up something. It's exasperating if that happens" and House lawmakers were forced to vote on the spending cut package regardless.

An ECAP memo that was distributed Friday to the group's state chapters described the House action this week as a "big test vote" on proposed tax and spending cuts. The memo said the campaign would target the 13 members with "stepped up activity next week -- including grassroots activity in their districts, office visits, protests, phone calls."

The campaign is backed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, among others, and it borrows some of the grassroots organization and media tactics employed earlier this year by Americans United to Protect Social Security.

In addition to the 13 Republican, ECAP has plans to be active in 31 states and hopefully influence 60 to 70 House members on the proposed cuts. Among its tactics is an "online march," which organizers say has attracted 10,000 participants to send messages and to the White House and Congress.

ECAP plans to send the collected messages to President Bush and GOP leaders today.

A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., downplayed the potential impact. "This group wants to say no when it comes to fiscal responsibility," he said. "What would be more important is to find out what they're for, rather than what they're against."

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Zippo fires up effort to ease TSA restrictions on lighters

Mark Wegner — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Now, Zippo is urging the TSA to allow passengers to travel with filled lighters in checked bags.

Zippo retained Williams and Jensen to represent them shortly after the TSA announced in late February its ban on all lighters. The goal now is to get an exemption that would allow air travelers to transport two filled lighters in checked luggage as long as they are in a special air-tight container.

Williams and Jensen partner Tracy Taylor said Zippo lobbying has focused mostly on the executive branch, even though the issue came up as a result of a provision in the intelligence overhaul bill passed last December.

"We were working with them to help clarify that the unfilled lighters were never really hazardous materials," Taylor said.

Federal rules previously prohibited air travelers from carrying lighters in checked bags. The 2004 intelligence bill expanded the ban to butane lighters carried in the passenger cabin, which the TSA had interpreted to prohibit all lighters.

Taylor said the lighter ban would seriously affect Zippo sales, even among non-smokers.

"They are a collector's item. They're kind of the Harley-Davidson of lighters," Taylor said. "What this did is really cut into the commemorative lighter [product], which is a large part of their business."

The TSA ban quickly caught the attention of GOP Rep. John Peterson, who represents the small town of Bradford, Pa., where Zippo is based, and of Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, both R-Pa.

A spokesman said Peterson helped set up meetings between Zippo and transportation officials. The spokesman said it is "common sense" to allow passengers to travel with unfilled lighters and added Peterson strongly supports allowing passengers to pack up to two filled lighters in checked luggage.

Zippo has launched a petition effort that allows Internet users to send a fax to Transportation Department officials.

The message notes that Zippo has filed an emergency exemption from hazardous materials regulations and asks the department to approve a special container to transport filled lighters.

"By granting this exemption, you would enable me to continue to enjoy my Zippo lighters even when traveling by air," the online petition states.

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Senate approves intelligence reform bill

Mark Wegner and Greta Wodele — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

The House passed the measure Monday on a 336-75 vote, so it now heads to President Bush for his signature.

"We are rebuilding a structure that was designed for a different enemy at a different time, a structure that was designed for the Cold War and has not proved agile enough to deal with the threats of the 21st century," said Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., promised senators who were uneasy with the legislation that his committee would "need to nurture this new intelligence structure over the years" through the intelligence reauthorization process.

Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich., who refused to sign the intelligence conference report, said today he would vote for the bill, but not before voicing his objections to language excluded from it because of White House opposition.

Levin said the rejected Senate language would have given Congress the ability to hear "unvarnished testimony" from witnesses who do not have to first clear their statements with the White House. Levin also said other deleted language would have created a national intelligence director with more independence from the White House.

Levin said past administrations, including those involved in the Vietnam and Iraq, have "shaped and distorted [intelligence] to support administration policies." Levin said of those and other omissions, "It seems to me the bill is weakened as a result."

Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., also raised his concerns about the legislation, which he said he would vote against.

Collins and Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. -- who together led a bipartisan effort to pass the legislation -- said that the bill largely would reflect the 41 recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission by creating a national intelligence director with strong budgetary authority, a national counterterrorism center, an independent civil liberties board and provisions to ensure the nation's 15 intelligence agencies better share information to prevent another terrorist attack.

But House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Wednesday kept up his fight against the bill, even after it was approved by the House Tuesday night. Sensenbrenner fought to the bitter end for provisions to ban states from giving drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants and to mandate stricter criteria for immigrants claiming asylum. He said he would offer the two items as stand-alone legislation on the first day of next year's session.

"We'll have this teed up for the first must-pass legislation," said Sensenbrenner, referring to a promise made by House Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader DeLay to include the items on the first legislation to be voted on by the House next year.

Sensenbrenner said the items should not be included in immigration overhaul legislation President Bush would like to craft next year because immigration change should not be "mixed up" with national security issues.

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Senator says offshore outsourcing provision must be revisited

Martin Vaughan and Mark Wegner — Tue, 09 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500

The amendment, a compromise worked out by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Finance ranking member Max Baucus, D-Mont., includes a number of broad exceptions including contracts for national security purposes and contracts involving countries that have already opened their procurement markets to U.S. bidders through international agreements. But Grassley said those exceptions did not go far enough and would have to be revisited in conference.

"I think it will have to be modified further if we are going to get the White House to sign it," he said.

In the House, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said Tuesday he would like to move corporate tax legislation that repeals the foreign sales corporation/extra-territorial income exclusion to the House floor within the next four weeks.

"I would hope we could get that bill to the floor before we break for the Easter recess," DeLay said.

DeLay deferred to Ways and Means Chairman William Thomas, R-Calif., about the bill's content, but noted that Thomas' latest proposal included a provision to address the alternative minimum tax. The Ways and Means-passed FSC/ETI bill would provide relief from the corporate AMT at a cost of $6.7 billion over 10 years. Grassley said he believed if the Senate could pass a FSC/ETI bill, it would help break the logjam in the House by showing the extent of bipartisan support for many of the same proposals Thomas is putting forward.

DeLay, asked about the prospects for extending or making permanent previously passed tax cuts, said he thought the House would support whatever tax relief that could pass the Senate -- so long as it did not include a tax increase.

"The Senate over the past few years has been the lowest common denominator. We'll take what we can get," he said.

DeLay said he hoped Congress this year would at least pass an extension of the full $1,000 child tax credit, so-called marriage penalty relief and expansion of the 10 percent tax bracket. He said Republicans would "live to fight another day" and would try to make tax cuts permanent after the November elections.

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House Armed Services chief, GOP leaders spar over Defense funding

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Nussle has proposed to cut 0.5 percent from Bush's military budget, which has elicited an outcry from Hunter and other defense hawks. The Pentagon's budget would still see an increase of about $25 billion over fiscal 2004 levels under Nussle's budget.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "is upset we can't have an honest discussion about honest numbers," a GOP leadership aide said. "All we're asking is to find some savings, not from ammunition but from the bureaucracy."

Nussle plans to include a reserve fund of up to $50 billion for Iraq in his fiscal 2005 budget resolution, which would count as emergency spending and would not affect the regular military budget.

"Discussion is the way to unanimity," Hastert said. "We actually have $50 billion on top of the president's request."

Another leadership aide said Hastert and other GOP leaders in their speeches to the conference today "pushed back" on Hunter, who gave a speech supporting the full funding of Bush's military request and coordinated speeches by other Armed Services members. Hastert characterized passing a lean budget as "our defining moment" this year, the aide said.

Hunter dismissed talk of using the supplemental to replenish regular military spending. "I think a majority of speakers spoke in support of the president's number during this time of war," Hunter said, adding, "There's a feeling that in a shooting war, you don't cut spending below the commander-in-chief's request." Hunter dismissed the argument that the budget included an extra $50 billion for the Iraq war, saying, "That's not an increase in defense spending."

Nussle, whose budget plan would also trim Bush's homeland security budget by 0.5 percent and freeze all other discretionary spending at fiscal 2004 levels, could not be reached for comment. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was clearly frustrated with the discussion, reacting to a reporter's request for a statement by angrily waving a piece of paper and saying that he had no comment.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., who has already expressed concerns with his expected tight allocations on the domestic front, said, "I'd be prepared to support the president's budget" of $823 billion in total 2005 discretionary funds, including the full military request and slightly higher domestic spending than Nussle has proposed.

The Senate Budget Committee worked through amendments to its 2005 budget plan Thursday and was set to wrap up in the evening. A plan by Senate Budget Chairman Don Nickles, R-Okla., would cut about $7 billion from Bush's military request, which is opposed by Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Nickles said he would work with Stevens to try to resolve his concerns.

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Budget hawks seek to alter process; appropriators balk

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0500

The bill will be introduced by Reps. Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as early as this week, although that schedule could slip until early next week. The measure aims to overhaul the budget process by embracing recommendations proposed by President Bush in his fiscal 2005 budget, including a binding joint budget resolution, biennial budgeting, line-item spending reductions and an automatic continuing resolution if spending bills are not completed on time.

The conservatives' bill would also provide for a 1 percent decrease in spending each quarter under a CR for all agencies covered by the temporary measure. The measure has already run into opposition from appropriators, who would get a referral to their panel. "It will never see the light of day," a House Appropriations Committee spokesman said.

According to an outline of the draft legislation, the measure would limit the growth of entitlement spending to the rate of inflation and population growth, and cap discretionary spending at the rate of inflation, enforced by budget points of order. If the caps are breached, the bill would trigger across-the-board cuts in many programs, although Medicare, Medicaid, veterans and military benefits and some low-income programs would be limited to just a 2 percent cut, and defense spending would be exempted from cuts for national security reasons.

"We believe the outrage level is getting high enough that we may be able to pass this," Ryan said.

Under the bill, a two-thirds supermajority would be required in both the House and Senate to waive points of order. It would prevent the designation of "emergency" spending to sidestep budget caps, freeze "advance appropriations" at the fiscal 2004 level; sunset all mandatory and discretionary programs in fiscal 2008-2009 with the exception of Social Security, veterans' benefits and a few others; freeze funding for programs with expired authorizations; and allow the president to rescind spending deemed wasteful, subject to congressional approval.

The measure also would prevent the inclusion of additional spending bills outside of the 13 appropriations subcommittees; the fiscal 2004 omnibus included a "miscellaneous" package of add-ons and offsets.

House GOP leaders have not signed off on the package but have signaled their intent to move elements. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said he was considering bringing a "budget process bill to the floor" this year. He also said Congress ought to scrutinize unauthorized spending.

"We need to take a very hard look at unauthorized programs and see which ones should be funded and which ones should not," he said. House Budget Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, said his panel also would consider rescissions to curtail spending.

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President Bush details space budget amid mixed reaction

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Under the pending fiscal 2004 omnibus spending bill, NASA would receive about $15.5 billion. The White House said Bush's proposal would boost NASA's budget by 5 percent for the next three years, and then by 1 percent in the final two years.

Bush's ambitious space program is likely to enjoy key support on Capitol Hill including that of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, whose suburban Houston district is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. Last month he called for a return to the Moon, possibly as a precursor for expeditions to Mars.

In an Oct. 29 letter he wrote to Bush asking him to request an increase in NASA's budget when he formally submits the White House's fiscal 2005 budget request early next month. Prior NASA funding requests have "not demonstrated an appropriate level of commitment to an agency that is so important to the future of our nation," the letter states. The bipartisan letter signed by 101 lawmakers was co-authored by Reps. Bud Cramer, D-Ala., and Dave Weldon, R-Fla., who sit on the Appropriations VA-HUD Subcommittee, which funds NASA. Cramer's North Alabama district is home to NASA's Marshall Center, and Weldon's is home to Cape Canaveral.

But the proposed space program has already run into skepticism from Democrats. Asked about Bush's space agenda, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she was reserving judgment. "What is this about? What are the costs? What about safety?" Pelosi asked. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who noted his district includes the Goddard Space Flight Center, said the space proposal is "very exciting" for his constituents, but added Congress has to weigh the costs with other interests. "What you are going to hear in this debate, I think, is about priorities," he said. However, House Budget ranking member John Spratt, D-S.C., today called the space proposal "bizarre" and said it was more about election-year politics.

The project also drew questions from budget hawks who cited runaway deficits. Citizens Against Government Waste President Tom Schatz said Tuesday that the program "is not feasible at this time" given deficit projections that could exceed $500 billion for fiscal 2004. Schatz criticized lawmakers for earmarking NASA funds for home-state projects.

"Even if this space dream made sense, members of Congress, who have stuffed NASA's fiscal 2004 budget with more than $300 million in pork, should first be required to eliminate their parochial projects. Those projects included $3 million for an astronomy center in Hawaii, as well as $3 million for ocean and weather research at the University of Alaska," Schatz said.

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House stalls, Senate plows on through budget bills

Mark Wegner and April Fulton — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 00:00:00 -0500

One GOP aide noted Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., had promised to give 48-hour notice before a tentatively scheduled energy bill conference committee meeting would convene. However, the aide said Domenici, Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and House Energy and Commerce Chairman W.J. "Billy" Tauzin each have outstanding issues that have forced a delay. "It just wasn't going to work out with the House schedule this week," the GOP aide said.

Congressional Republicans hope to adjourn this session on or near Nov. 21. Next week's House schedule has not been set, but the delay would mean an even more compressed floor calendar next week if the House is to wrap up work before Thanksgiving on energy, fiscal 2004 appropriations and a Medicare prescription drug bill.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, made good on their threat to protest a decision by Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to keep the chamber in session Veterans Day and to schedule a 30-hour debate on judges later in the week by slowing consideration of appropriations bills.

Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., threatened to talk about job creation and the fiscal 2004 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill for "four or five hours" as part of a "one-man show" to draw attention to what Democrats say is unfair treatment by the majority. Senate GOP leaders had originally indicated votes on the Commerce-Justice-State spending bill could be held early Monday afternoon, but it seemed unlikely any votes would be held until at least 6 p.m. because of Reid's actions.

"It's inappropriate that we are not going to be able to work through this week," Reid said, adding that he had been told the judicial nominations debate was scheduled to deliver a message to the GOP base. "This is being done for reasons that I don't think are the focus of the Senate," Reid charged. When a visibly angry Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., tried to get Reid to yield for a question, Reid declined.

Defending the decision to spend debate time on judicial nominations, Frist said Democrats "minimize the importance of our judiciary system." He also said Republicans have many options to explore once Reid stops talking today, including pulling the Commerce-Justice-State bill and moving to pass relatively less controversial legislation like the defense authorization bill, the Military Construction spending conference report, VA-HUD spending bill or the Syria accountability bill.

Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took to the floor to react to comments Reid made Friday calling the GOP leadership's scheduling of the judicial debate an "amateur" move. McConnell noted Democrats failed to pass a fiscal 2003 budget when they were in the majority and held over nearly all of the appropriations bills until this year. "That's what's amateur-not doing your job and blaming someone else," said McConnell.

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Privatization language likely to be stripped from FAA bill

Mark Wegner and Zach Patton — Tue, 28 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0500

The FAA reauthorization will likely be sent back to a House-Senate conference committee Tuesday night, potentially paving the way for Republicans to strip language from the bill that allows privatization of some air traffic control workers.

The House Rules Committee will vote Tuesday on a motion to recommit the reauthorization, which sources close to the conference said they expect will pass. While in theory both Democratic and Republican conferees want to reopen the legislation to discuss privatization, congressional and industry sources said Republicans plan to strip the privatization language from the bill in order to garner enough support to pass it.

The privatization provision has emerged as the most contentious aspect of the bill, with Democrats pushing to reinsert language expressly forbidding privatization. For weeks, Democrats in both the House and the Senate have said they will oppose a bill that simply removes the provision without reinserting the original anti-privatization language passed by both houses.

House Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member James Oberstar, D-Minn., Tuesday said that privatization is the key sticking point to passage of the FAA reauthorization bill. "The substantive issues of the bill are not at risk or disagreement," Oberstar said. "What is in contention is the administration's proposal to undo the determination that air traffic control is an inherently governmental function."

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said House Democrats are unanimously opposed to the contract language, and charged that Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., has been trying to win individual GOP votes by eliminating their districts' towers from the list of those that could contract out services. Rules ranking member Martin Frost, D-Texas, Tuesday circulated a "Dear Colleague" to Democrats saying, "The Republican leadership needs to step up to the plate, return this bill to conference and reaffirm the Congress' commitment to keeping our control towers out of private hands."

John Carr, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said that the Republicans' plan was nothing more than "the deal du jour" to gain support for the reauthorization. He said that removing the provision would not effectively prohibit future privatization by the administration. Assuming the reauthorization bill is returned to the conference committee and the privatization language is stripped, sources said Republicans would have enough votes in the House to pass the reauthorization.

But Democrats in the Senate-most vocally Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.-have pledged to defeat any bill without the original provision banning privatization. If Republicans cannot gather enough votes to pass FAA reauthorization in the House and Senate this week, lawmakers will have to approve another continuing resolution for federal aviation programs, which will expire Friday.

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House and Senate face full plate of spending bills next week

Mark Wegner and April Fulton — Thu, 23 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Speaking about the schedule earlier this week, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said the House would reconvene Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business, including a series of bills on the suspension calendar. Any roll call votes would be postponed until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

DeLay said the House Wednesday and the rest of the week would take up the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act, and expected conference reports for an energy package and the Defense Department authorization bill.

He also noted the House could take up the four pending appropriations conference reports, including the Military Construction, Energy and Water, Interior and Labor-HHS spending bills.

The House will likely have to pass another continuing resolution next week to fund the federal government after the current CR expires Oct. 31. Although the House Tuesday passed a CR until Nov. 7, it includes "placeholder" language that will serve as the vehicle for a conference on an omnibus appropriations package.

A decision about the length of the next CR has not been made, one source said today. DeLay cautioned members to expect votes next Friday, which is Halloween. "And hopefully, even if we work on that day, we can let members out in time to go trick or treating," he said.

After the expected passage of the Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill tonight, the Senate will attempt to tackle the remaining spending bills either separately or as a package next week.

Senate GOP leaders did not file cloture Wednesday on the District of Columbia appropriations bill, as they had earlier considered, leaving work on that bill until at least next week. GOP leaders would have been unlikely to shut off debate on that bill while it contained language on school vouchers, and so will put off its efforts for now.

"There's not really a big advantage to doing it [filing cloture]," said a spokeswoman for Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. "Democrats will spin it as a process vote, not a D.C. vote," she said.

The GOP leadership is also optimistic they will have an energy conference report in hand by the end of next week, and vote on a judicial nomination and possibly an omnibus spending bill or a new continuing resolution to keep the government open past Oct. 31.

They still must pass VA-HUD, Commerce-Justice-State, Agriculture, and foreign aid spending bills, some of which are trickier than others, aides acknowledged. Senate GOP leaders may also file cloture on President Bush's "healthy forests initiative," as Democrats have objected to agreements to bring it to the floor so far.

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Hill leaders vow to remove loan provisions in supplemental

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Tue, 21 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Because of the House's truncated week with work expected to wrap up Tuesday night, a formal conference on the fiscal 2004 supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan is not likely to occur until next week. But House Appropriations Chairman C.W. (Bill) Young, R-Fla., said appropriators Monday started comparing the versions passed out of the two chambers last week.

"We're already hard at work to get those conference notes ready to go," Young said. "The real work began today [Monday] when we began to compare the House bill and the Senate bill item by item."

The Senate appointed conferees Friday and the House is expected to follow suit Tuesday.

The major difference between the two bills is a Senate-backed loan provision, which Young vowed to remove.

"The president will prevail on this issue of grants versus loans, and it is my intention to make that happen," Young said.

There is likely to a be a vote in the conference committee on the matter, on which supporters of the House position-maintaining direct grants-will outnumber those backing loans.

Young had hoped to complete the supplemental before Thursday, which is the beginning of an international donors' conference in Madrid, Spain. He said Congress has already made clear its commitment to reconstruction aid in Iraq, noting the Senate has approved $10 billion in direct reconstruction aid.

Asked to predict when the supplemental conference might wrap up, Young, replied, "If I gave you a date right now, I'd be guessing."

Other differences to be resolved include Senate provisions to boost benefits for National Guard and other reservists and a $1.3 billion increase in veterans' health care, among other differences. In a Statement of Administration Policy, OMB said it would oppose such changes.

Both bills would cut almost $2 billion from Iraq reconstruction aid, with the Senate bill cutting an additional $200 million from the administration's $900 million request for purchases of refined oil products for Iraq.

The House Tuesday will turn its focus to the regular fiscal 2004 appropriations process by taking up a continuing resolution that would fund the government a week beyond the current CR, which expires Oct. 31.

It would also include "placeholder" language designed to prompt the Senate to work on an "omnibus" package that includes the six fiscal 2004 spending measures it has not approved.

"We will pass a CR that takes us to Nov. 7, and that will include the six bills that we have passed that they [the Senate] haven't passed," Young said.

Because the CR and omnibus are unlikely to make it out of a conference-and to the White House-by Oct. 31, the House will likely need to pass a straight CR next week.

Even though the House will be in recess the rest of the week, Young said work would continue on other pending fiscal 2004 appropriations conferences.

"We're telling all of our conferees to be on call-when we need you, we need you," he said.

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Senate GOP prevails in first Iraq challenge, but more await

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The first amendment aimed at redefining $20.3 billion in reconstruction funds as a loan program, offered by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., failed, 57-39.

Specifically, the amendment would have created a financing authority to issue securities backed by future oil production, with the revenue raised used to reconstruct Iraq. Republicans argued the effect would be to eliminate funding for Iraq reconstruction, as financial institutions would shy away from an unstable situation.

"To assume this oil revenue has a value right now is just a false assumption," said Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., noting that infrastructure does not yet exist to refine and deliver the oil. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said it would be "unwise" to impose conditions at this time, but the debate could be held down the road after the situation has stabilized.

The vote came after a meeting at the White House where Secretary of State Colin Powell and Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolten lobbied a bipartisan group of swing senators.

Some Democrats who were invited to the meeting but did not attend-including Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York-threw their support to Dorgan Tuesday instead.

"It's certainly not unreasonable to expect some form of repayment," Lincoln said.

But the real test could come later in the week if Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, offers her amendment to convert $10 billion of the reconstruction funds into a World Bank-administered loan, aimed at securing matching international contributions.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said Tuesday he would support the amendment, which has significant support on the Republican side.

A compromise was building Tuesday among backers of the Hutchison amendment and one authored by Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., to require the reconstruction funds to be loaned unless foreign creditors such as France and Russia forgave Iraqi debt. In that case, the money could be granted.

Hutchison's amendment, which she is cosponsoring with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, could be merged to create a hybrid with the Bayh-Nelson plan, said to senators considering the proposals.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Ensign, R-Nev., cosponsors of the Hutchison-Collins amendment, said there would likely be a compromise along those lines. Both attended the White House meeting, as did Hutchison and Collins.

Senate GOP aides said there was likely to be a deal, noting that both Hutchison and Bayh amendments had a great deal of support. "Those are the two in play," one aide said.

Earlier in the day, an amendment by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., to divert $5 billion from the Iraq reconstruction section to pay for domestic programs was tabled, 59-35.

Eight Democrats joined in supporting the motion to table: Foreign Relations ranking member Joseph Biden and Sen. Thomas Carper of Delaware; Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico; Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray of Washington; Nelson; and Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas. There were no GOP defections.

The House is set to begin debating the supplemental this afternoon, as Republican leaders reached a unanimous consent agreement with House Democrats, GOP aides said Tuesday.

Under the agreement, the House will begin six hours of general debate Wednesday. The House would then debate the rule for the supplemental Thursday, followed by an additional hour of general debate, before considering amendments.

Under that scenario, the Rules Committee would still report a rule to be considered Thursday that would determine which amendments would be in order.

A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., expressed confidence Tuesday the House would defeat proposals that would restructure aid as loans.

"I didn't hear a whole lot of hand-wringing about it," the spokesman said of leadership discussions Tuesday.

Another GOP leadership aide said the White House since last week has been working hard to make its case among House Republicans for the grant language, and Iraq funding overall.

"We think we'll give the administration what they want on this issue, which is grants," the aide said, adding, "Our members feel more comfortable about the case the president made, and will stand with him."

Meanwhile, House Democrats have taken no party position on the Iraq supplemental and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is not whipping the bill, Democratic aides said Tuesday.

"It is a vote of conscience," a spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

As a potential alternative for Democrats voting against the White House request, Pelosi last week promoted an amendment authored by Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., that would redirect $4.6 billion in reconstruction spending to the military, give the World Bank authority to administer $7 billion in reconstruction loans and pay for the entire request by suspending tax cuts for the top 1 percent of taxpayers.

Obey's amendment was defeated in last week's committee markup. It is uncertain whether GOP leaders would allow a floor vote if the plan is offered.

Obey could opt to remove the language on suspending tax cuts, which would make the amendment germane.

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Defense spending bill could hit Senate floor Friday

Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner — Tue, 08 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The Senate could also take up a $9 billion Military Construction spending bill this week. Stevens said he wants to attach the administration's $1.9 billion fiscal 2003 supplemental spending request on to one of the 2004 spending bills, but that he is waiting for the House to act first.

"We will act if they don't, but I think it's better to start over there," he said. Stevens did not say what the potential vehicle would be.

The supplemental request, which arrived late Monday, would provide funding for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief activities, wildfire suppression and NASA's space shuttle Columbia recovery operation.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., has not yet decided on a vehicle in that chamber, a spokesman said. House conservatives said they need the 2003 funds to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the 2004 budget, but one aide said they would have to see which vehicle the funds are attached to before deciding whether to oppose the measure.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Tuesday, "We're shifting the appropriations process into high gear," aiming to complete the Defense spending bill, on the floor Tuesday, as well as the $2.7 billion legislative branch appropriations measure Wednesday, and the $138 billion Labor-HHS spending bill by the end of the week. The Defense bill was expected to pass on a broad bipartisan vote.

The Labor-HHS appropriations bill, typically a partisan battle, is expected to be no different this year and will likely hinge on the votes of House GOP moderates. An aide said moderates would meet with Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, Wednesday to discuss the measure, as well as possible Democratic amendments.

One such amendment, which DeLay cited, would roll back Labor Department regulations that force unions to disclose more information about how they spend member dues. DeLay said he would muster opposition to the amendment. However, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Democrats may offer just a single amendment to the Labor-HHS spending bill, in order to focus the debate on the tradeoff between tax cuts and service reductions.

The White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy Tuesday generally supportive of the House defense appropriations bill, but criticized appropriators for rescinding $2 billion from the 2003 Iraq supplemental to meet 2004 discretionary spending caps. The statement said the rescission would hinder the administration's flexibility to address security and reconstruction needs in Iraq.

The White House is also concerned about a $3 billion shift from operations and maintenance to procurement and research and development, as well as the lack of funding for the Virginia-class submarine and other reductions.

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Texas Dems seek Homeland Security documents

Mark Wegner — Fri, 06 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Invoking the so-called "seven-member rule," Rep. Chris Bell, D-Texas, said Democrats have the statutory authority to ask for any records related to the efforts to locate Texas Democrats who fled the state last month.

"If there is nothing to hide, then why hasn't the Department of Homeland Security provided the information?" Bell asked. "The American people deserve to have these questions answered, and we intend to get those answers."

In a Wednesday letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Bell and Government Reform ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., joined five other panel Democrats asking for the information. Democrats claim the department is required under federal law to respond to any requests made by seven members of the Government Reform Committee.

Democrats have attempted to link Texas Republicans and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, with an effort to locate the Texas state House Democrats who fled Austin last month in a successful attempt to deny Republicans the quorum needed to consider a controversial redistricting plan.

The Texas constitution authorizes state law enforcement to force absentee legislators to return to Austin. But that authority did not allow Texas officials to cross state lines to retrieve the Democratic lawmakers, who had retreated to Ardmore, Okla.

A spokesman said DeLay has publicly rejected any suggestion he tried to involve the Homeland Security Department in the dispute.

"In their desperation, Democrats invented and pedaled a story that was debunked by the congressman, and we welcome efforts to set the record straight," the DeLay spokesman said.

DeLay has strongly urged Texas Republicans to throw out a court-drawn redistricting plan and replace it with a map that could net between five and seven new Republican House seats.

The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that GOP Gov. Rick Perry has already decided to call a special 30-day session by July to take of a government reorganization bill and congressional redistricting. A Perry spokeswoman declined to confirm that report.

One Texas Democratic aide said Republican state legislators face the same obstacles they did in the regular session.

While the state House would be expected to pass the redistricting plan backed by DeLay, the aide said the Republican state Senate would have to change its rules to overcome the standing two-thirds requirement to bring any bill to the floor.

Republicans control 19 of the Senate's 31 seats, but are two votes short of the two-thirds requirement.

The aide said Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the state Senate, is not as closely tied to DeLay as is Texas state House Speaker Tom Craddick.

"One thing about the Texas state Senate is that it is not really as partisan as the state House," the aide said. "If they add redistricting, it's just a totally different and partisan thing."

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Democrats launch homeland security task force

Mark Wegner — Mon, 02 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Maloney, whose district includes parts of east Manhattan and western Queens, represents constituents who were directly affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Democratic Caucus Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who made the appointment before the Memorial Day recess, chose Maloney in part because of her experience in leading the Democratic push for using sampling in the 2000 decennial census.

"If anyone can get through to the public on this issue, Carolyn Maloney can," one Democratic aide said. "We expect and hope that she will be as vocal and as successful on her leadership on this issue."

On the census issue, which Democrats ultimately lost, Maloney waded frequently into census politics, pushing congressional Republicans for funding for sampling and working with outside groups to build support for the controversial method. A spokesman said Maloney plans to take a "constructive and bipartisan" approach to homeland security, but added this does not mean Democrats would back off their efforts to win more homeland security funding from President Bush and Republicans.

The spokesman said New York City "is only getting pennies on the dollar" from the federal government and noted estimates that show the city must spend an additional $13 million each week for security since Sept. 11. "We can't just be talking about security. You've got to be funding it," he said.

As chairwoman of the Democratic task force, Maloney is expected to take a much more aggressive approach to the issue than Homeland Security ranking member Jim Turner, D-Texas, who has a reputation for bipartisanship. An aide said Turner would work closely with Maloney on the task force, but said, "His priority is securing the nation and not getting into the political machinations."

Democrats have already pressed Bush for more funding for first responders, and several Democratic aides said Democrats are intent on making the public aware of the party's work on the issue.

Serving as task force vice chairmen are Democratic Reps. Eliot Engel of New York, and Chris Bell and Silvestre Reyes of Texas. An Engel aide said the lawmaker planned to pursue telecommunications and evacuation issues. A Bell aide said port security in Houston is a priority for him.

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House, Senate leaders seek to break logjam on war spending bill

Lisa Caruso and Mark Wegner — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Following a meeting Thursday of Senate committee chairmen, Agriculture Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who also chairs the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., planned to sit down with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to break the impasse.

A spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said DeLay and Hastert met Thursday today and "determined they are not going to schedule a supplemental for the floor as long as it contains the Senate pork. We will stay this weekend if we have to. We're officially dug in ... You can't leave D.C. for two weeks without funding the war."

The House leadership position has the backing of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., and the full Republican Conference. Pointing out that he made good on his pledge to send the president a clean supplemental, turning down numerous member requests for projects, Young said: "My bill is almost perfect. There is no conference report." Nor had a conference committee been scheduled as of Thursday afternoon.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., registered his frustration today too, telling reporters: "If it takes removing them [the extraneous provisions] to get this done, then remove them. We need to get this done."

A Frist spokesman said Frist is committed to passing the conference report before the spring recess begins at the end of the week. "The president asked us to get it done by the recess, and that's what we plan to do," the spokesman said.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, acknowledged that Thursday was the deadline appropriators had to meet. After the chairmen's meeting, he told reporters, "I believe we'll work it out this afternoon. It has to come to a close this afternoon" so a conference committee can be convened and the House can file a conference report in time for a Friday vote.

But Stevens also said he told his colleagues he and Young "have no agreement to meet" to wrap up the supplemental. Stevens confirmed the extra Senate provisions remain in dispute, and they were the final obstacles to an agreement.

"The discussions went on all last night, and they may go on all night tonight as well," he said.

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Senate Dems unveil plan to boost homeland spending

Mark Wegner, William New, and April Fulton — Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

Republican aides said chances were good that some of the amendments would prevail at a Senate Appropriations Committee markup scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and others have expressed support for boosting funds to first responders, but Collins said this afternoon it would be premature to do so in the supplemental right now, adding that she will hold hearings in her committee in the next few weeks.

Senate Democrats say not enough is being done to help fight the war against terrorism at home. "We don't need any more rhetoric. We don't need any more photo-ops. We need dollars," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the main sponsors of a $4.3 billion amendment to ensure that firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel can meet new post-Sept. 11, 2001, challenges.

Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., who is the key sponsor of a $400 million amendment to boost nuclear security, said he was "terribly disappointed" that nuclear risks have not been addressed. Senate Democrats also plan to offer an amendment by Senate Commerce ranking member Ernest (Fritz) Hollings, D-S.C., to boost port security by $1 billion, $600 million of which would be in the form of grants and $400 million would be for screening vessels for nuclear material.

Democratic amendments would also provide $2.9 billion for border and transportation security improvements and $340 million for smallpox vaccine administration. Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., will also offer an amendment to boost chemical plant security, and there may be a handful of other amendments, including one to provide funds to bail out the airlines and help displaced airline workers.

But House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, Tuesday dismissed Democratic criticism that the supplemental does not adequately fund homeland security. "They have no credibility," he told reporters. "They can criticize all they want, but they have no substance."

At a news conference with British Home Secretary David Blunkett, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge noted that states and localities would receive as much as $8 billion to $9 billion in financial support this year, if Congress acts in a timely fashion on White House proposals. "I think that's an enormous investment," Ridge said.

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Bush demands quick action on war supplemental

Mark Wegner, John Stanton, David Morris, and Bill Ghent — Tue, 25 Mar 2003 00:00:00 -0500

"The supplemental should not be viewed as an opportunity to add spending that is unrelated, unwise and unnecessary," said Bush, outlining his request during remarks at the Pentagon. "Every dollar we spend must serve the interests of our nation, and the interests of our nation in this supplemental is to win this war and to be able to keep the peace."

The White House request for $74.7 billion includes $62.6 billion for the Pentagon to move troops, maintain equipment and replenish the supply of smart bombs and cruise missiles. About $60 billion of that would go into a general war trust fund, of which "at least" $53.4 billion would to go military operations in Iraq, $3.7 billion would go to munitions replenishment, $1.7 billion would be for classified activities and $1.1 billion for equipment procurement and research and development.

The other $2.7 billion in specified money would go to countries supporting the war in Iraq and other anti-terrorism efforts, cover the cost of fuel, build military facilities in Guantanamo Bay, and even supplement anti-narcotics efforts in Colombia.

Bush also asked for $4.25 billion for increased domestic security, of which about $3.5 billion would go to the Homeland Security Department. About $2 billion would go directly to states, while $1.5 billion would be shared among federal departments to beef up border, airport and maritime security.

Another $500 million would be for the FBI's counter-terrorism efforts, with the final $250 million slated for a trust fund to address "immediate and emerging" terrorist threats.

The House Appropriations Committee will take testimony this week from Pentagon officials, Homeland Security Department officials and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on the supplemental. The committee then will move early next week to a full markup, in anticipation of passing the House by the end of next week in order to meet Bush's April 11 deadline for completing action on the bill.

"I will move the president's supplemental request through the House as quickly as I can because I know the importance of this bill to the men and women of the military," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla. He added that he had assurances from the House leadership that the supplemental will have "priority consideration" on the floor, something echoed today by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is looking to hold a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge this week if possible and would probably mark up the package next week, according to a GOP appropriations source.

While both Young and Stevens have said they will try to meet Bush's goal of keeping extraneous provisions from being tacked onto the supplemental, it may not be easy. An aide to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said Democrats would try to boost the $4.25 billion request for new homeland security spending to at least $8 billion or $10 billion-something many Republicans may go along with.

Senate Democrats also may push to include new funding for state and local security projects to protect the nation's water infrastructure from terrorist attacks, according to lobbyists and Senate sources. Although the total amount that may be sought is unclear, state and local officials have continued to lobby the White House and Congress for new funding since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Democrats also will be watching for administration or GOP attempts to use the supplemental to push through environmental exemptions for the Defense Department. Republican congressional leaders, as well as the White House, have made these exemptions from the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act and federal marine mammal protections a priority, arguing the rules cripple the military's ability to properly train.

Although it is unclear whether the exemptions will be inserted in the supplemental package sent to Capitol Hill, Democrats at the very least expect GOP lawmakers to attempt to insert the provisions during the abbreviated committee consideration of the bill.

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